Miranda Fragonard 2005 Eau de Toilette

Miranda by Fragonard is such a girly fragrance. This is the scent of vanilla icecream, coconut flavoured lip gloss and a bouquet of flowers from an over-the-top romantic and doting significant other.

Funnily enough, as I was reviewing Miranda a random sugar ant ran over my tester strip but not without hesitating first to see if this perfume was indeed edible.

I do mention this fragrance as being rather sweet, however it is nothing nauseatingly so. Jasmine and rose feature quite prominently with a milky sweet coconut and vanilla texture.

Miranda actually smells like one of my favourite cakes to bake, Angel Vanilla Cake. The foody cake note is fortunately subtle and pretty on the skin.

Very rarely does a fragrance remind me of a certain colour, however Miranda makes me think of baby pink, that innocent, feminine and youthful colour. The drydown which consists of powdery and creamy vanilla and sandalwood possibly adds to its cutesy appeal.

Some people call this fragrance sexy. Personally, I'd most likely wear a scent like this on a shopping trip with the girls rather than during a night of passion with my lover. However each to their own.

The longevity and sillage of this little wonder is fabulous, well worth the money spent. Actually, to be honest Fragonard is one of the most affordable niche houses on the market today, so there's no reason to dismiss this fragrance or any other of the Fragonard's perfumes for that matter.

This is like Angel without that godawful patchouli hiding all the gourmand qualities. I expected for Innocent to smell like this before reading the notes and trying it. The sandalwood is a nice touch for the dry-down. The perfume overall is SO much more wearable; it is the more pleasant, cheerful friend of the loud-mouthed, more popular Angel.

And again a gourmand fragrance! I seriously wonder why this brand has so many sweet scents in its range? Anyway, it is what it is.

The top note is sweet with flowers, the heart note is sweeter with even more flowers, and the base is thick and creamy, super sweet, but without flowers. The vanilla is omnipresent here, coating all the ingredients with its powerful pudding layer from the 100-liter bulk pack.

Although I am fond of sweet fragrances, I must say that this one offers too little excitement aside from sweet vanilla. It is simply nice.

After years of being a reading member of Parfumo, I am now trying to break a lance for this beautiful fragrance from Fragonard with my first comment:

I discovered Miranda many years ago directly in Grasse at the Fragonard shop. I sniffed through all the offered fragrances and ultimately chose the three scents Miranda, Belle de Jour, and Capucine as pure perfume.

For me, Miranda is a very warm scent that envelops and caresses me. I find it very pleasant, not intrusive despite the sweetness, and definitely suitable for spring or cool summer evenings. It has a strong base for me, with vanilla lingering in the background; I smell jasmine, which blends beautifully with amber and sandalwood. The fragrance is straightforward and indeed holds no surprises. That is precisely what makes it a pleasant companion for me.

Unfortunately, it is no longer being produced. Such a shame! There is also no comparable scent at Fragonard. All the "successors" I subsequently tested, such as "Casmir," turned out to be too intrusive and too fruity-sweet for me.

All in all, I find the fragrances from Fragonard so appealing also because they are made from mostly natural essences, and I am always overwhelmed by the variety of new (designer) fragrances offered today. I prefer to limit myself to traditional houses, also smaller family businesses like Fragonard or I Profumi di Firenze, where mainly natural and original ingredients are used.

I will now carefully guard my remaining stash of Miranda and use it sparingly.

By the way, I also wore it in the office today... and was promptly approached by my colleague about the lovely scent.

Unfortunately, I can only provide a brief description here, as the sample is just a scented cloth. Therefore, good tests are not very meaningful.

A beautiful soft scent, but vanilla predominates. It leans slightly towards the gourmand direction. Coconut is only faintly detectable, as are the flowers. Warm, soft, cozy, and more suited for vanilla lovers.