Tried & tested: Mariah, scented
As a huge fan of Mariah Carey, I naturally volunteered to review her debut fragrance, M. I had heard about it for quite some time prior to its release and I was dying to know how Miss Carey would bottle her signature scent. Would it be as sexy, seductive and overwhelmingly powerful? Would it reflect her standing as the biggest-selling female recording artiste ever with an unrivalled five-octave vocal range?
So it was with much anticipation that I removed the butterfly-shaped purple cap and indulged in a few sprays of the official Mariah smell. Images popped into my head. It was as if sweet cotton candy had collided with the haunting and alluring tuberose and decided to live together in a land filled with exotic spices. There's glamour, beauty and above all, a bold statement announcing: "I'm the best".
With just a few sprays, people will be forced to take notice of your presence and will not be able to let you go so easily. The fragrance is a winner. Inevitably, for a fan like me, Mariah's songs play to the scent. It begins as the soaring chorus in Butterfly ("spread your wings and prepare to fly...") and follows with the lullaby Underneath the Stars, before ending with Emotions, the part when she hits the whistle register.
Created by Mariah with perfumers Carlos Benaim and Doc Long of International Flavors and Fragrances Inc, the inspiration for M was said to derive from "two very contrasted notes - an exotic Tahitian Toare flower with a deliciously warm marshmallow".
In case you're wondering about the marshmallow bit, it was chosen because it evokes Mariah's "fondest childhood memories of being in a kitchen with her father". Other elements come from Moroccan Incense/Amber "to bring an element of mystery that lingers on the skin". But for my untrained nose, I'd stick to candy and tuberoses.
For Mariah, "creating this scent was like creating a song - it takes many notes to compose a fragrance. It's like a beautiful melody." This glamorous Mariah in a bottle can be purchased at RM175 (eau de parfum spray 30ml), RM215 (50ml) and RM255 (100ml) each. It is available at all Elizabeth Arden counters. (The New Straits Times)
|
