I keep on wanting to like this, or hate it, or something, but I keep on coming back with "what the....???" There is straight up tuberose in there, and dirt (as in earth), and then something dirty (as in skank), and then the tuberose shows up again, and then it's just all one big mess.
Part of me thinks I'm missing an in-joke, another part wonders if I'm missing out on a modern wonder.
It doesn't sqwark at me the way the tuberose Fracas does; it doesn't infuriate me in the way the dirty (skanky) mess Kingdom does. I don't get the "concept," in the way I see the tuberose joke in Lutens Tubeureuse Criminelle (even though I don't laugh at TC, or find it profound, or compelling). I don't know what to say about Mahora.
Wait, here's what I'll say: don't buy it. If you want an afternoon's distraction, let me know. I'll send you some. I'd like to know what you make of it.
13 comments:
I've only recently tried it too and just thought, is this really a Guerlain? it just doesn't smell like one, well to me anyway. Your review made me giggle.
I do really like and sometimes wear Fracas... it's the queen of tuberose but it's more buttery, Mahora is a bit shrill
To borrow a cadence, it is SO not Guerlain. I keep on wanting to give it credit I am not sure it deserves. At all.
Mahora is a mystery. I happened to first smell it from one of those "peel off" stickers in a magazine that the time and recall having the whole room pervaded by that agreesive smell. Both it and the mag were tossed...
Then I remember it on the perfume counter and thinking how unfitting it was besides even Samsara (which is quite potent itself). And then I forgot all about it (as they discontinued it) till they re-issued it as an exclusive!!!
I've never heard of it! Huh. Hold on to a little bit of it for when next we meet. You know Fracas and I are always in synch, even when we aren't. Perhaps I can help you out on this one - or I might amuse you by turning up my nose (or my toes) and rolling my eyes in the back of my head...
....or something like that!
xo
Mahora was reissued as an exclusive??? Really? Hunh. Once again, I start wondering if I am seeing an emperor with no clothes, or an emperor wrapped in the sheerest of silk... ;)
(Wait, I want to make a Nuit de Cellophane joke here....)
Musette,
I've got a sample with your name all over it. Who knows, maybe you will be the chosen one.
Or maybe you'll be sorry you raised your hand...
I know I'm supposed to hate it. Wasn't this the one issued as "Metallica" until the band sued, and then "Mayotte" and finally "Mahora?" I have 5 mls of the EDP which came in a Guerlain coffret. It's not as bad as all that, I think it's a decent tuberose. I wear it to sleep sometimes. The DH likes it. You may now strip me of my perfumista cred!
But that's just the thing, O...there *is* a nice tuberose note in there. But, it is intertwined with...yuck. I think the progression is that it was re-released as Mayotte when Guerlain released the Les Parisiennes; will do better delving later today.
There is ylang-ylang in there, which can do weird things in my nose; perhaps that is what is causing me my trouble.
You'll never lose your perfumista card, LOL! We all know about the variations of nose and vagaries of context... :)
@Olfacta:
Metalys is the re-issue of Metallica after the band objected. Mayotte is the re-issue of Mahora.
I know....the Disney equivalent in the fragrance industry: not one idea gets dropped.
I'd like to try it, please. Is there civet in there? I hate civet, but I love tuberose.
Hi, Maitrey...
Ummm, it's not really civet that I get, but maybe when it mixes up with the tuberose??? I'd need to try it again to sort it out. (Gak!)
Let me know if you are comfortable leaving an e-mail address here, and I'll contact you for mailing details. I meant it--happy to share!! :)
Oh, dear, another diss for Ms. Mahora. I know now, I'm supposed to hate her. I'm supposed to complain about her loudness, her shrillness. You hate her, Helg hates her, Luca Turin hates her (I believe he uses the words "disaster" and "horrifying.") And yet, when I sniff, I get a well-behaved tuberose/frangipani mix made a little salty and sexy by the vetiver at the bottom. Did I buy some freaky mis-mixed bottle from my trusty online discounter? Am I anosmic to half of it? If we ever meet, we should smell her side by side...
Alyssa,
I missed commenting here when I replied via e-mail. Until we are able to sniff side by side, I'd love to send you a sample from my bottle. Maybe there's something to different batches? Different temperate zones? Different septums???
Ultimately, of course, we could file all of this under "thank goodness for different strokes for different folks." *Somebody* should love it... ;)
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