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.

When I was young, my perfume introduction was almost exclusively comprised of Avon perfume ordered through my grandmother's hairdresser/Avon lady, who put my Nana's hair in curlers every couple months or so and sent her home with a box of hand cream, catalogues, and lip balm. My favorite of the Avon perfumes I ended up with was Flower by Cynthia Rowley, and I've been on the hunt for a comparable fragrance (in a less cheap-looking bottle) since it was discontinued. This one scratches the itch. I think what does it for me is the combination of tuberose, gardenia, and freesia. I will say, Moon Carnival's marshmallow note is particularly strong on my skin. While not listed, I'm getting a gummy, green patchouli. The gardenia is also particularly green on my skin. Medium lasting power and medium sillage. I think it's a perfect year-round floral. Definitely a unique white floral, and you can't beat the name! Just magical.

I'm surprised by how much I like this! It's not as sweet and heady as I expected it to be. I'm a big fan of white florals but extremely picky. On my skin, there is no "old lady/mature" or powder vibes to be seen! THANKFULLY!!! It's just a pretty blend of creamy white florals with a really nice base of sweetness from the marshmallow and vanilla. As it developed it started to remind me of VC&A California Reverie! A more refined, "graceful" sister of it. CR is my ride or die floral, I will always have a bottle of that in my rotation and because of the similarities in the two, I'm considering a full bottle of this! The projection and longevity were impressive. It out performed Poets of Berlin! The three that I've tried from this house definitely feel like "easy wear" fragrances but not mainstream (lookin at you PDM!) They have a 3 for $15 sample set on the website, it's absolutely worth trying out.

I love this perfume so much. After reading the notes I didn’t think I would be so into it, bc Im not exactly a tuberose gal, but there is something so comforting about this fragrance. Theres nothing sharp about this, its the very first time I’ve been able to understand when somebody says that a floral is “creamy.” Its SO pretty, the best way I can describe it is: it smells like how flower petals feel. Soft, white, dewy, airy, clean, fluffy, ever so slightly sweet. I’m a big fan! Update: I wore only couple sprays of this to work bc Ive been obsessed with it. I start my shift at 7 and at midnight my 11yo patient told me I smelled like a baby lmao. It didnt sound like an insult, but it felt like it! I still like it, but now I know Im walkin around smelling like a baby.

I bought a 2ml tester of this to try and omg this is the most gorgeous white floral scent I've ever tried. It's so beautiful. The freesia in this is heavenly. You really can smell it along with the gardenia and tuberose. I can't pick up the marshmallow nor the tonka bean at all though. But a hint of vanilla in the dry down makes this airy, heavenly, white floral so creamy and rounds it together so well. I can totally see how Moon Carnival comes in for the name. Smelling this, it makes me think of a large open green field in late spring/early summer. The grass is a bit dewy, the sun is nearly down, and you can smell the freesia in the air as you breathe in the beautiful scent in the air. Airy, clean, and simply beautiful freesia blend.

Ahhh Moon Carnival. I adore this perfume deeply. The first time I smelled it, I HAD to have it. I’ll start with the negatives - I think the longevity for the price tag is a shame, it definitely needs regularly re-application. The positives are...Well, everything else. This is a DOMINANT white floral with a green sharpness to it. It’s as though you cut the stem from the plant yourself. It then becomes beautiful and creamy, almost a banana-ry like sweetness to it which is likely coming from the tuberose. Its powdery dry down feels as though this perfume bordered on the vintage. Overall it genuinely makes me happy and I find myself sniffing the bottle every time I walk past. If you love heavy white florals, you will adore this.

This is so magical, gentle and beautiful. The name suits this perfume so well. Imagine attending mysterious enchanting night carnival under full moon in a secret forest... Firstly, the scent starts almost cold and fresh feeling with bergamot and different white flowers...but as the “carnival goes on” things start to warm up quite a lot and you start picking up more sweetness from vanilla, tonka bean and marshmallows. Those must be a sweet treats for the visitors of “carnival”. This perfumes perform really well on my skin, it lasted well over 6 hours. But I have to say it sits closer to skin. Which is fine with me, as long as I can still enjoy this moon carnival. 100% safe blind buy if you like white flowers

instantly a very warm and slightly sweet scent. after a moment, some woody scents come though (probably the tonka beans). the marshmallow seems subtle but in reality it is providing that smooth aspect to the scent along with the vanilla. the florals provide a lighthearted air that contrasts well with the sexy bottom notes. on me , this smells like warm and sweet flowers. i’ve seen comparison between moon carnival and tocca florence. while they both have white floras, florence shouts white floral and only white floral, while moon carnival blends the white florals with a lovely softness. i only wear florence when i want to smell like a garden. moon carnival is a much more complex scent with softer notes.

I love tuberose, marshmallow and vanilla and all of that comes together in this beautiful fragrance. I can definitely understand the comparisons to Narcotic V, which is also one of my favorite tuberose fragrances, but that one is really floral and slightly fresher, whereas this one leans a bit more towards gourmand. It is definitely sweet, I would say a bit bubblegummy. The marshmallow, vanilla and tonka base makes this suitable for colder days, but the tuberose gives it a spring feeling and the passionfruit adds something exotic. Quite a feminine fragrance. I don't think many men would like to wear this. Full bottle worthy for me!

I love this. On my skin, Moon Carnival is a marshmallow-y sweet freesia with a side of tuberose. This is far from overwhelmingly sweet though. The freesia is incredibly fresh. It is definitely the prevailing note in this fragrance. If you love freesia, you will love this fragrance. But if you dislike it, or are indifferent to it, you should definitely stay far away from it. Wearing this fragrance, you will absolutely be a refreshing ray of springtime sunshine each time that you walk into a room. I know that white flower fragrances can be a bit polarizing. But Moon Carnival is a love for me.

Moon Carnival is a fragrance that unlocks nostalgic childhood memories, though I can’t quite pinpoint what. It’s super fruity, reminiscent of bubble gum, and features florals that are anything but typical—there’s something ethereal and fairy-like about it. The freesia note stands out, bringing back Y2K nostalgia, similar to Britney Spears’ Midnight Fantasy but less sour cherry and more creamy, sweet, and soft. It’s incredibly good! The scent is fluffy, thanks to the marshmallow, and has a cloudy, dreamy quality. Update: 12/26 Kind of has a undertone that reminds me of my grandma.

My first thoughts: I'm immediately reminded of the discontinued Gardenia Lily from Bath & Body Works that my mom used to wear in the early 2000's. The freesia and bergamot are so sparkly and clear, they practically tingle with life, then they fade back into the florals at the heart. The dry-down was subtle, fluffy marshmallow and vanilla. The fragrance makes this beautiful transition from clear as glass, crisp, bright, and glittering, to a creamy fluffiness that lingers lightly on the skin. Really gorgeous. I do wish the longevity was better.

This is a stunning perfume. I was a bit wary of it, because some of the notes could have leaned too sweet for my liking, but the freesia and bergamot cut through the vanilla, marshmallow, gardenia, and tuberose like a knife. So balanced, so pretty. It pulls a slight spiciness on my skin that is so beautifully juxtaposed against the buttery florals. The only downside is that it smells a lot like Ralph Lauren Woman Intense. If the price tag for this is too high for you, check out Woman Intense. Totally suitable swap.

Finally a tuberose for my sensibilities! No bubblegum, not too sweet (and natural-ish, white floral sweet, not sugary candy sweet). If you're here for the trendy super sweet/fluffy marshmallow vibes don't bother with this. This is much better than those IMO. The marshmellow isn't the star of the show but it keeps things interesting. The freesia, citrus and tangy fruity top notes somehow keep this fresh enough to the very end. It's a unique floral. Not a gourmand. - the only marshmallow I've loved.

We are in the last weeks of winter and it is 85 degrees here in Los Angeles. February 28th... I’m in the back seat of an Uber on my way to see my grandmother who is in the hospital. I am holding back tears and anxious as can be. This perfume is bringing me peace and keeping me together as it invokes a sense of calmness that I really need right now. Moon Carnival, you will be a part of my story forever and I thank you for being here for me in this moment.

Absolutely beautiful. Moon carnival is feminine and magical! As a florist, I’m a sucker for floral scents but this one is beautifully complex. A gorgeous mix of fresh florals that lay on a bed of vanilla. Not too sweet like a gourmand but a floral vanilla that gives a subtle fluffy feel to the scent. The layering gives it a whimsical feeling that I just love. Plus I love the scent of freesia! It makes me feel feminine but in the way that the moon does.