Kurky Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2025 Eau de Parfum

This one is really weird. It's essentially a gummy-bear super sweet fruity accord over Bonne Étoile, the baby/children's scent M. Kurkdjian made for Dior. In Bonne Étoile, the ephemerality and subtlety makes sense, you don't want to put something long-lasting or powerful on a child, but why reuse that accord here in a mainline release for MFK? I get that he's trying to create a "child-like" scent, giving this perfume his childhood nickname, but this is, after all, a fragrance for adults. It certainly has an adult pricetag. I honestly prefer Bonne Étoile; the pear in the opening is more subtle, and I actually think it lasts longer. What a terrible release.

Sweet scents are my favorite. Nostalgic scents are great. Fruits and vanilla are wonderful notes. People who hate on this because it's sweet and has childhood vibes are weird and illogical, that's exactly what was promised and might not be to everyone's taste, but definitely isn't a bad thing. Perfume doesn't have age limits, especially not on the upper side. You can't really be too old to love sweet and joyful things.

Now that I got that out of the way, here is my own criticism: This whole scent is just too soft and harmless. It smells nice, like fruity candy on a bed of clean white musk. A bit like a more refined Pink Sugar without the polarizing parts. The berry cough syrup and sticky cotton candy associations are still there, but diluted with the airiest musk you've ever smelled, so it's not cloying.
Of course that also means it isn't a strong scent at all. I don't think performance equals quality, but at this price point, it could have a little more oomph. And also, even more importantly, personality. If Kurky really was a child, it would be one that always says please and thank you, has neat hair and perfect handwriting, but never does anything mischievous that makes you laugh.

It's cute, I can't hate or even dislike it, I prefer it over some other boring scents and appreciate that it's sweet without being cloying. I just don't think it's anything special.

Like so many other MFK fragrances, especially in these recent years of enshittification (i.e., make fragrances weaker so you charge more for the extraits!), Kurky is astoundingly banal and uninspired. I can't even muster words to describe it except to say I felt genuine surprise at the lackluster nature of this offering and the borderline disrespect it has for its audience.

Many of the aromachemicals used by MFK are one-dimensional, devoid of texture and emotion, and few examples are more glaring than Kurky. It is evocative of nothing. Empty. Fancy branding with no passion or art. It is a truly useless and pointless fragrance that brings nothing to the table. Sadly, enough people will be taken in by the allure of its supposed "premium" qualities that this type of insipid faux luxury will continue to dominate mainstream perfumery.

If something feels off when you smell fragrances like this, like you're told is exquisite, but your heart remains quiet while you try to intellectualize why this is great, you're on the right track. You're smelling the equivalent of a $500 gold foil covered Salt Bae burger that, when stripped of its pretentious presentation, is indistinguishable from a $15 burger anywhere else.

I absolutely loved the fruity opening on this, but that was - literally ... really literally - gone in under a minute. Then, it was replaced by what I can only describe as a sweet, kind of creamy, musty candy scent. You know, the ones that are chewy and old fashioned, in a little wax-paper, and which usually were given to you by your grandmother.

That is the scent that lasts. Alas. Not for me.

Edit -> someone below said play-dough. That is EXACTLY it!

The fragrance has all the ingredients for a successful hit, but they just haven't managed to do it right. A candy-like, playful scent, which is charming and not childish, a soft, clean musky base, a touch of wood and vanilla. But how did they manage to make a scent with such a poor longevity and projection that it bothers even me, who sometimes needs shorter-lasting and more intimate scents?

There's nothing left of the beautifully made fruity scent, which I think smells more like candy, after a few minutes. Hasn't anyone tested this before it was released?

This is one of the worst in a long time and that's a shame, because I would have definitely liked the scent itself.

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked my short review. There's not much to say about this scent, I'm mostly speechless from confusion.

I would appreciate if you follow me on my
IG and/or YouTube (English subtitles available):
@ninamariahperfumes

It gives me a lot of motivation to write more.