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Post by Tina G
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Portia and I had a lovely relaxed New Year’s catch up the other day – lunch and tea and chats and I had a chance to have a sticky beak at the selection of perfumes which she’s chosen to keep at home at the moment. This included a stunning range of Guerlain! Love Love Love!! Along with a few other scents, Portia kindly provided me with a small decant of Mahora to try.
Mahora by Jean-Paul Guerlain for Guerlain 2000
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Orange blossom, almond blossom, green accords
Heart: Ylang-ylang, neroli, tuberose, jasmine
Base: Sandalwood, vanilla, vetiver
Mahora was released by Guerlain in 2000, and discontinued two years later. I understand that it has been slightly reformulated and released as Mayotte in 2006, but I was curious to know why Mahora was given such a short shelf life.
The opening flashes from a pleasant jasmine and citrus burst to a bitter green quite quickly. A milky/watery almond note then comes through with the tang of a sweet orange in the background. The almond note is quite yummy, actually, like fresh almonds in a bowl waiting to be crunched.
Photo Stolen Pixabay
As this settles in it changes quite rapidly in the first 15 minutes and the almond turns more marzipan. I suspect that my focus on almond during the first 15 minutes is because it is a note I’m sensitive to, so I’m noticing it more. The silage, however, makes me feel that I’m definitely wearing a Guerlain – it has that familiar edge , here mainly citrus and vanilla, with the vanilla becoming stronger during dry down.
The ylang ylang is a surprising punch at the half hour mark, and it’s presence drags the green notes back into the foreground again. The fabulous greenness continues to develop and at about 1 hour there is a specific damp indolic note which shoots up between the rest of the fragrance’s clouds of puffy citrus/vanilla. It is that of decaying tuberose, but nothing overly fetid and rotting, more like flowers which have simply been left too long in a vase and have passed their prime. It is distinctive but I don’t find it unpleasant, particularly because it is still surrounded by and supported in the fragrance overall.
Photo Stolen Wikipedia
Is this indole the reason for the fragrance’s demise? Perhaps. I haven’t had a chance to try Mayotte so I am not sure whether the note has been continued under a new name. I really that it gives the fragrance an unexpected edge. The indole does fade around the 3 hour mark and the dry down becomes a gorgeous warm skin scent, one that I’m perfectly happy to find on my skin as I snuggle down at the end of the day. So this one may not be so popular, but I’ll put my hand up and say that it’s OK!
Photo Donated Portia
Further reading: Smelly Thoughts and Perfume Posse
Now available in slightly different form at Guerlain called Mayotte in Les Parisiennes
Ebay also has some BARGAINS! but pretty soon they will be gone and Mahora will cost a fortune.
Surrender To Chance has Mayotte starting at $6/ml
Do you have an “unpopular” fragrance which you love? Would you take a stand, and speak up on its behalf in the face of dissidence?
Tina G xx