Madly Kenzo! Kenzo 2011 Eau de Parfum

Cool bottle, with a not so cool scent. This fragrance is quite possibly the worst release of 2011 in my opinion.

Synthetic is a word that springs to mind automatically after smelling Madly Kenzo. I find it to be a mish-mash of strange, unfriendly notes lacking the quality and ease that most Kenzo fragrances possess. Plasticky and odd sums up this composition perfectly for me.

I'm not usually the type of person to down a fragrance upon a first testing, but it's difficult to see how my opinions could possibly differ, let alone how I could possibly face wearing this fragrance again. I really find it hard to stomach.

The drydown was my only relief, being an airy blend of musky woods and heliotrope. Nothing to rave about of course, but certainly better than the top notes. The more I think about it, the more disappointed I am in Kenzo for having approved this.

Madly Kenzo thankfully doesn't project too well, nor lasts any more than a few short hours. I was quite glad to be free of the scent by the conclusion of my testing, and I can't say I'll be all too forgiving if this fragrance sells well this year.

This is what the sisters from Charmed would have worn every day.

I was surprised to discover this was released in 2011, because it has such a strong late 90s/early 2000s vibe. It has that old Kenzo DNA, a bit hippish and delicate. Incense, flowery, it settles beautifully in the skin. Perfect for a cozy winter fragance, but definitely y2k coded.

I bought this fragrance in Paris, find it very beautiful, and want to share a bit about it with you.
Madly Kenzo! is not a cheap drop, €52 for 30 ml, but I liked it so much, what can you do?

This scent is not typical Kenzo for me; it leans towards the floral-oriental direction, which is ideal for me. When you spray it on, you are immediately greeted by not-too-sweet berries with fresh orange blossoms. Hmmmh! Yes, really great!
After a while, I can smell the rose, but it’s rather brief; it is surrounded by incense and heliotrope, making it a bit spicy and smoky.
In the end, it becomes creamy, powdery, and woody.

It may not sound so exciting now, many might think, but when I wear it on my skin, it develops such a gourmand note for me that I have to keep sniffing it.

This fragrance is neither too strong nor too weak, but just right. If you know L'eau par Kenzo and the Elephant, this one is in the middle in terms of intensity. It is an EdP with good longevity, and the sillage is rather minimal.

Madly Kenzo! is a fragrance that has everything I like; it is floral, slightly oriental, spicy, powdery, creamy, and woody. No worries, it’s not too sweet or too berry-like, and no synthetic notes are detectable.

Well, it’s not a scent that will blow everyone away, but many will surely appreciate this fragrance direction very much.

Recently, I received a sample of Madly Kenzo from a friend, and I was quite curious about it since I have developed a fondness for incense.

At first, just a small spritz on my arm, and it starts off pleasantly floral and fruity. For me, it is by no means sticky sweet or syrupy, but rather lightly spicy sweet. Overall, a warm and pleasant opening.
The desired incense soon makes its presence known, soft and caressing. Not a powerful note, more like a transparent cocoon surrounding me.
The base comes through very quickly for me with delicious cedarwood, spicy elegant and smooth. I can't perceive the rose, and heliotrope is only minimal.

For me, this fragrance definitely has something special. I can easily imagine wearing it in autumn. On a windy day for a walk or for cozy cuddling on the couch.

The longevity is commendable, and the bottle fits the scent very well. I find the sillage average. Unfortunately, my fiancé is not a fan of this perfume. He says it smells cheap, disgusting, and ultimately, he even moves away from me. So, Madly Kenzo will just have to exist on my wish list...

Madly Kenzo! is a fragrance that has smelled completely different to me every time I've worn it so far; I can't really explain why. The good thing is: it gets better every time!

The very first time - Lilau was so kind to let me sample a bit of this rarely available scent - it was extremely intense and I was soooo disappointed! I had high expectations and what happened - after about half a minute, I could only smell incense and NOTHING ELSE!!! Not that I have anything against incense, but when you feel like a living incense stick, the fun eventually wears off :( I noted afterwards: "masculine-dry-herb and that's it"!

A few days later, I gathered all my courage and tested it again. What can I say, this time the fragrance blew me away! Nothing masculine. Sure, it was smoky, but just enough to not become too sweet, and this time not at all bitter! Incredible!

Today I dared to try it again and decided to sniff it very consciously to be able to report back.

The great thing was: today it almost told me a story!

Right after spraying, I saw the wink in the perfumer's face. I felt like he created the top note a bit as if he wanted to "pull a fast one". It smells a bit like a parody of the current fruity-sweet mainstream. I can't quite explain it, it was like a well-told joke and it immediately lifted my spirits!

Today, I can barely sense any smokiness, just enough for the sweet-fruity-floral scent (a top-notch orange blossom that simply won’t stop blooming, dreamy!!!) to not become tacky. Heliotrope and rose seem to make it so lasting and clear and rounded. This part of the fragrance has been with me for 3 hours now!

And the good mood continues :)!!!

Slowly, a bit of woodiness is coming through, but still pleasantly soft and feminine.

For me, it's a wonderfully playful scent that brings good cheer, yet doesn't become squeaky-sticky-paste-like and remains soft.

The longevity is surprisingly good for the type of fragrance, the sillage is average for me, yet absolutely fitting.

Anyone with a curious-open nature should not miss testing Madly Kenzo!

It will definitely find a place in my collection, that's as certain as the wink from Mr. Guichard ;)

P.S.: I just did a bit of surfing and discovered on Kenzo's site that there are supposedly pink pepper berries in it (not pink berries as stated above). Thankfully, I can't perceive these at all - see my comment on Miracle Intense ;) -!!!

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Edit 10.09.2012
In the meantime, I have ventured into several orientals, discovered my love for spicy, incense, and other smoky components in perfumes, and can no longer understand that I once perceived so much incense here. However, I still enjoy wearing Madly Kenzo! when I want to wear a clear, buoyant, cheerful fragrance. The description "pink berries" is becoming clearer to me - I find absolutely(!) no pleasure in anything that is red, berry-like, or sweet, but "pink" here describes the light hint of these berries, just a suggestion. That must be what evoked the image of the wink in me.