Yum Pistachio Gelato | 33 Kayali 2023 Eau de Parfum

Yum Pistachio Gelato, aside from being a name that I am embarrassed to type out, is pretty embarrassingly basic for as much as a commotion perfumetok made about it when it was released. Not being all that plugged into perfume community drama, I wasn’t sure why, but I thought it had something to do with how influencers were talking or not talking about it, or maybe some people were butthurt about not receiving PR boxes? I don’t know, but I was curious as to whether the scent itself was in any way worth getting your nose out of joint about. It is not. This is a commonplace vanilla skin musk with the addition of what I think of as a sort of rancid shea butter sour baby puke element, something soft and creamy that’s gone all clotted and curdled. It’s not the worst thing I ever smelled, but if you didn’t receive a PR box about it, you no doubt lived through the ordeal of it and went on to smell better things.

It’s undeniable that Kayali has a way with marketing and FOMO on social media. They’re able to create hype that entices you to buy their perfume. It’s a double-sided sword though: their marketing tactics convey a certain message and intention, which in turn creates certain expectations. When these expectations fail to live up, most people end up feeling let down. This is the story of such a perfume.

Yum Pistachio was marketed as a sweet gourmand perfume and the notes that were hyped were those sweet lovely ones: pistachio gelato, marshmallow, rum and cotton candy. Unfortunately, when I first sprayed it I have to say there was this intense jumble of notes vying for attention and when you see the notes on paper, you can understand why. I could smell the overall sweetness, but there was also this small aspect of freshness (probably coming through from the bergamot). As the perfume continued to live on my skin, the sweetness stayed there, but the powdery aspect came on too which immediately turned me off. I’m not a lover of powdery accords so take this part with a grain of salt. I understand people who compared the scent to an industrial soap smell because there is a certain link that can be made here (which is unfortunate). In this jumble of notes, I did detect nuttiness coming probably from the hazelnut, a certain background spicy accord and the powdery aspect coming from the cotton candy and the marshmallow. I have yet to say it smells like pistachio gelato. I don’t really detect any pistachio scent apart from this vague nuttiness accord. The ending veers off more towards creamy and sweet which is nice but there’s a note in there (probably the cocoa) that seemed to clash a bit with the rest.

I think it’s overall a nice sweet and powdery fragrance fit for spring and maybe summer. It might have benefited from having less notes in its composition and maybe a different kind of marketing because to me it’s clearly not a pistachio scent. It’s not overly anything, but the jumble of notes might deter people. I think Kayali missed the mark on this one which is unfortunate since I love a few of their perfumes. It will not be added to my collection once I finish the travel size, but I’m glad I got to try it out!

I wasn't put off but also wasn't impressed when I first tried it at Sephora. I just ordered the full bottle recently and I like it way more than the first try. It starts really nutty and dries down nutty/musky on my skin. I don't find it too sweet like some of the other reviews. I also tried layering it with Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar | 42 and I think they work great together. The bubblegum-y VCRS is balanced nicely with the nuttiness of Yum Pistachio. Overall, I'm happy that I placed the order.

I don't know what it is about Kayali, but their fragrances usually work for me. I love many of them, and even the ones that I wouldn't wear are still pretty nice. So, if you're not such a big fan as I am, maybe take my review with a grain of salt.

This is absolutely scrumptious! Nope, it's not a literal pistachio ice cream novelty fragrance, as the long list of notes already suggests. If you want that, Demeter or some indie houses might be the better option.

Yum Pistachio Gelato is a summer gourmand. It has a similar scent profile to many of my heavier winter perfumes, but done in an airier way. There is something nostalgic about this, it gives me 90s gourmand vibes, like a lightened up Escada Magnetism or even Angel. I definitely smell the pistachio and hazelnut, especially in the opening, but it's too warm of a scent to make me think of ice cream. Instead I get sweet cotton candy, whipped cream, musky marshmallows and a touch of greenery that balances it out a bit. Not sure where that is coming from, but I like it.
This is not the burnt kind of Cotton Candy a la Pink Sugar, it's not as cloying and loud. I can't say that I smell every single one of the listed notes, but I assume all the different fruity and floral touches help to lift the scent.
In the drydown the perfume takes an unexpected turn and slowly becomes more powdery and surprisingly rosy. The lokum note becomes really noticeable, like a sugar dusted rose lokum with nuts, and I can also sense the almond-like touch of tonka.

I'm actually happy that this is a little more floral and complex than expected, it makes this a more versatile fragrance. It can basically be worn in any season, be it at a summer funfair, on the first sunny days of spring or on a cold winter morning where you want a scent as fluffy as a pastel pink mohair sweater. Very girly and sweet, obviously, but that's just my jam, so I love it.

The first time I wore this it smelled like a portapotty for the first few hours and gave me a headache. But then I kept smelling something sweet and delicious and addictive and blamed it on the vanilla candle I was burning until I realized the smell was ME. I wasn't sure how to feel about this scent, so I put it away for a bit and decided to come back to it later.

the next time i wore it the toilet smell translated properly to my nose as nutty! this perfume is DELICIOUS in the heat. it's like cotton candy ice cream and it's not cloying at all because the scent is so cold! i'm really excited to wear this in the summer. please give this a try more than once if you can't decide whether it smells good or not!