Truth or Dare Madonna 2012

A well-organized wardrobe gives us various options, offers us many little adjustment screws to optimize our outfit: better this pair of sunglasses with this bag, otherwise it looks too flashy… Better the high-cut dress, but gladly the hoops… Better long sleeves with the short skirt… Well, most people will know this, you want to feel beautiful, but not be stared at or looked down upon. Most of the time, you want to look good in everyday life, but not too flashy. And often you have to adapt to your surroundings or fit into the situation: at work, at a wedding, at a conference…

So here we are adjusting. Making compromises, maybe holding back a bit.

But! There are also days when the world belongs to us!!! Those are the days when we are the birthday kids or those on vacation conquering the city while strolling, laughing with friends in our favorite café, celebrating a passed exam, having all wishes free and pockets full of money…

For such days, Truth or Dare fits perfectly: days when strangers smile at us because they see we are doing well, because we shine. Days when we wear an invisible crown. Days when we don’t need an MP3 player to have music in our ears. Days when we simply ignore what we usually refrain from or what would normally give us a headache in front of the wardrobe. We walk down the street and feel the gazes of those who turn around, see the faces of people smiling at us, and ignore the sometimes toxic looks from some who seem to think, “Does she really have such earrings with that dress… And then this scent…?” And we respond in our thoughts, “Yes! She does!” And add, “Because she can! Wuahuahua!” Because on these radiant days, we can afford not to care. Because the day belongs to us. Because today we are kings and queens. Because today we don’t have to fit in anywhere.

Truth or Dare is like an ice cream sundae with four scoops of our favorite flavors, topped with whipped cream, colorful heart sprinkles, and then cheekily crowned with a big amarena cherry while picturing our fitness trainer’s face.

This fragrance has it tough. Because it was born as a celebrity scent and then as Madonna's child. Therefore, on one hand, it is sometimes dismissed as a celebrity fragrance, while on the other hand, some approach it with a condescending attitude out of antipathy towards Madonna. In an interview with the artist, I read that she wanted to capture the scent of her early deceased mother with the fragrance. It is likely that it may have been Robert Piguet's Fracas from 1948? But that's just a guess based on the fact that Madonna's fragrance bears a striking resemblance to Fracas, even if Madonna's scent cannot boast such a rich composition as Fracas. Speaking of composition: Truth or Dare remains relatively constant in character on my skin after a certain time (about 30 minutes), only changing in that it becomes softer and quieter. A complex evolution should not be expected here.

So tuberose. Yes, but here the sweetness, the almost narcotic sweetness of the night-blooming jasmine has really been captured. It is combined with other heavy white flowers: gardenia, jasmine, neroli, lily. Truly a scent for queens of the night! Added to that is sweet, lovely amber, which brings a soft, graceful depth, vanilla, and my beloved benzoin, which somehow smells almost delicious; you definitely don't want to stop smelling it.

So this fragrance has it tough - and it is heavy itself. But it is also incredibly positive, like joy in a spray! The game Truth or Dare, after which Madonna named her perfume, is actually a bit of a trick. In English, it suggests a choice between truth OR dare. However, this choice doesn’t really exist: whoever chooses truth and reveals something about themselves takes just as much of a risk as the one who chooses dare and has to undertake something at the whim of the players. Anyone wearing this fragrance must have courage, must take a risk, because being quiet, adjusted, and inconspicuous is out of the question! The scent is a statement. A very lasting one, by the way, with a room-filling sillage.

Truth or Dare also smells sultry. I find the scent very feminine, but men should wear what they feel like too. In any case, I find it very delicious and sexy. In a forum, someone once asked what scent we could imagine on vampires. As an avid recipient of True Blood, I must say: definitely Truth or Dare! These heavy, sweet white flowers, that’s how I imagine the scent of hot nights in the American South. And then there’s that sultry note… If I wanted to attract vampires, this would be my scent of choice; it definitely has something of an attractant.

Gilbert Bécaud once said about his first encounter with Brigitte Bardot: “Then I saw how Brigitte arrived on set… there came a siren or, I don’t know, a wonder, a scandal, a tempting cake, a delicacy, she was simply grand.”

That’s how I feel with Truth or Dare - on those very special days of the year.