Madera

A really nice vanilla. The tobacco is not strong smells more like regular musk. The vanilla is pronounced, but also something old and mature and a little masculine about it. Kinda like someone in academia. A prof etc. But the vanilla part is leaning feminine.

As a vanilla and coconut lover, this perfume is near perfection to me. The first time I smelled it, I bought a sample and didn’t even notice the coconut. I initially got an almost waxy, iris vanilla that kinda reminded me of play makeup. To my nose, it’s very artificial, but in such a beautifully smooth way. Now that I own a bottle, I get more of the coconut and peach, or maybe I just didn’t realize that until looking at the notes. Who knows, but it’s my favorite fragrance right now. Perfect for summer, when I wear it to work everyone thinks there is baked goods around and I have to tell them it’s me lol. I have to overspray to get good projection. It’s a bit oily so the scent it’s self lasts a very long time.

This is a decorous vanilla and caramel fragrance. Warm, sweet and cozy. It isn't a cupcake vanilla, but more of a true vanilla extract with an intense caramel note and there's a light floral note in the background holding it together and keeping it from being cloyingly sweet. I went through a sample and now have the full bottle on the way to me.

I got 2 sample bottles of this several months apart, and they were both very different, but that is almost certainly me, not the perfume (I changed my diet and got less sinus congestion) I remember my first sample bottle smelled like sweet vanilla and caramel, nothing else, subtle and sweet. I loved it but wondered if it would last long enough or project far enough. I bought another sample instead of a full bottle. My second sample bottle still smelled like vanilla and caramel, but also coconut and powdery fresh laundry - followed by intermittent hints of salty popcorn and (weirdly?) smoke. I liked it enough to use both sample bottles to the end. I will try another sample before I get a full bottle.

This smells absolutely delicious. I purchased a sample, and I loved it so much that I had to order a full size bottle. It smells exactly like caramel. The hint of coconut is also there...but it can also be mistaken for butterscotch. I received a lot of compliments when I wore it, and I could still smell it after 8 hours. It is not overpowering, but people will notice it. This is a must have for gourmand fragrance lovers. Smells a little like Monoi Tiki Tahiti coco coconut.

Very generic, creamy and sweet vanilla with this one. Madera isn’t at all offensive but it doesn’t excite or wow me either. This is just a very concentrated vanilla cream body spray.

I confess: I am a gourmand freak. This is really really good but if you want something 'over the top' amazing, (and you love a sweet feminine scent of licorice), go for the White Madera!

"As you know, many of the sugar-laced scents and lotions in the mass market veer into the bitter, plasticky realm as they wear on the skin— but this one miraculously does not." I beg to differ. Any gooey caramel or rich vanilla is overwhelmed entirely by a soft plastic scent, reminiscent of the original My Little Pony toys of the 80s and 90s. It's pleasant enough, I guess, but not to wear a second time. Pass.

Was sooo looking forward to trying this based on the notes and reviews and am soooo disappointed! It smells like straight up buttered popcorn on me, the Demeter version. After an hour it was gone...I didnt get any hint of caramel.

This is Lea St.Barth before it was wrecked around 2005 and turned into plain musk. Musk, almond, vanilla, and that unique waffle cone accord that seems to come out of the combo. I can't buy another perfume! Ugh! This is so good.

I went through 4 sample vials of this before I threw in the towel and shelled out for a full bottle. While the description says caramel, that's not quite how it reads on me. There is caramel to my nose, but there's also notes that remind me strongly of my beloved Lea St. Barth. It's just a very warm, cozy scent that stays close to the skin and it is beyond lovely.

This is soft and gooey smelling, I get a bit of a boozy smell that fades to a warm vanilla dry down . Wears close to the skin but does last awhile on clothes, I sprayed my scarf and could still smell it hours later. I like this , it's a grown up fragrance without that fake plastic scent you get from a cheap gourmand fragrance.

I really like this -- and, weirdly enough, I am not a huge fan of sweet vanilla scents. To me, this is sweet enough to be cozy and enjoyable, but it also has a dry, resinous quality that keeps it from being cloying. (Tihota, for example, is sweet with no resinous note to balance it out, and is therefore much too sweet, IMO.) I get the caramel smell, for sure, but to me it manifests as a sweet, deep smoothness more than a specific caramel smell. A perfect balance of sweet and tobacco accords!

Madera reminds me of a very rich flan with a toasted coconut topping. I find myself wearing this when I go out for a casual dinner because it doesn't interfere with the enjoyment of food. A true gourmand fragrance that is saved from being overly sweet by the addition of soft musk. I never thought that I would like a fragrance this sweet & simple, but I find it comforting & warm.

Madera is sweet and warm and luscious. There is a photo that describes this scent perfectly: google caramel + Nigella Lawson. If that's too much caramel for you, sniff elsewhere. If you'd like to recreate it, buy a FB of Madera and bliss out. The trance lasts 4-5 hours, and after that, I get little surprise random whiffs of creamy caramel for the rest of the day.

I received my twenty samples and was so excited. I do think there is a different effect with a dab on application versus spray. I read that one criteria in judging if a scent is for you, is that you like it at first whiff. I started opening and smelling my samples, and Madera, stopped me. I applied this one. I guess the exotic, vanilla, gourmands, tropical, are my category. Madera, is a must try.

Smells delicious, all caramel and vanilla and buttery smells, but doesn't have much staying power.

Finally. A true caramel fragrance that smells like it's right out of the kitchen, not the chemistry lab. I've tried so many of the gourmand/Oriental vanilla/creme brûlée scents out there - yes, including Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille, and Prada's Candy- but most contain benzoin, which my body chemistry seems to magnify above all other notes so that I smell like an emergency room. Or, the others in this scent category contain one or two floral notes, which totally destroy the gourmand experience for me. This is a close skin scent which means I might even be able to wear it to work; however, I admit that I've been stingy w the samples that I have so that a couple sprays may make it project more. Especially gorgeous for this time of year. I'm a very happy fragrantista!

I had a strong feeling that this one would be a winner for me... I bought two samples of this before saving up o buy a full bottle a month later. This scent is so lovely and delicious! I have worn this many times to my work experience placement and the children I work with seem to love it too- they tend to come in for a hug (even the ones that would never do this otherwise)! People around me keep mistaking this for a lovely smell coming from someone's kitchen or a shop; and I giggle secretly, knowing that it's more likely Madera that they are actually smelling! As for how it smells, it really does smell like a lovely, buttery madeira cake on me. Madera is definitely not linear, as different notes take over throughout the time the perfume is worn. Sillage is moderate, and it has lasted up to 10 hours on me (without re-application). I'm not sure why people are comparing this perfume with other perfumes like Indult Tihota. I ended up buying a full bottle of that too, but it is a whole different animal. Madera is extremely foody while Tihota is a white musky vanilla. I love both equally, but I think I might like Madera a little more as it never ends up having that burnt rubber smell that happens sometimes with Tihota. All in all, this was a great buy! I highly recommend this to pure gourmande lovers!

A must for vanilla lovers. Soft, warm, buttery vanilla caramel. I adore gourmand fragrances, and Madera is a true vanilla gourmand- much more vanilla than caramel to me, as there are no 'burnt' notes. Madera is not a dark caramel, but a light, soft caramel. It has a comforting sweetness without being sickly or cloying. It doesn't smell artificial or cookie-scented candle-like- it's just a happy, warm, 'quality' vanilla. If you've ever split open a vanilla bean while cooking, prior to scraping out the essence, and are enveloped by the true presence of vanilla- that's Madera. I've found that many vanilla gourmands have a smoky or sharp undertone that will cut through the vanilla/caramel and eventually take over during the dry-down, or the vanilla is interrupted by discordant floral notes. This does not happen with Madera. It starts off delicious vanilla caramel, and continues to become more beguiling the longer it is on the skin. It's a 'cuddly' scent, and I definitely keep sniffing my arm. My sample arrived yesterday, and it's already half-empty, as I do like Madera very much and have periodically reapplied it. That's the only drawback to this fragrance- and hence, only four stars. On me, it's quite subtle, requiring reapplication. If I apply a fragrance, I want to be able to enjoy it without having to keep my nose pressed to its application point. It's probably my own chemistry- my skin is pretty dry, as is the winter air where I am right now- but I just can't really detect it if I'm not directly smelling where I've applied the sample. I can tell there is a good amount of essential oils in Madera, so it must be something to do with my personal chemistry or the current arid conditions [?]. If this lovely scent had a bit more presence, I would gladly save up and purchase a full bottle. The amount for the price makes it a good buy- but I know I'd be reapplying very often. Please try a sample if you like a warm, comforting, pure sweet vanilla that has no intrusive floral or dark notes. It's a very pretty, gentle scent, and masterfully blended. It would also be a good base for when you want to add a true vanilla to another fragrance. There is a delightful soft buttery caramel-corn aspect to the dry-down- again, without smelling like air freshener or cake batter. I just wish I didn't have to press my nose into my arm to smell it. That being said- I'll be ordering more samples soon, and in my heart I know I'll someday doubtless splurge on a full bottle of Madera, regardless of its present subtlety and only fair sillage, as it is so delectable. I would describe it as a 'perfect vanilla' scent, a vanilla that shines on its own, not overcome by other notes, that enables you to simply sniff, be enveloped by vanilla-ness, close your eyes, and smile.