Star rating: 5 stars--outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars--very good, 3 stars--adequate, 2 stars--disappointing, 1 star--poor.
Truth or Dare? Tame or dramatic? Cheerleader or femme fatale? As I reached for the slim white bottle of Madonna’s Truth or Dare perfume at the Macy’s counter, I felt reluctant to shatter my dream of a Bandit like blend. Of course, since Coty, a company renowned for its commercial blockbusters, backed Madonna, it would be naïve to expect leather and incense. However I tried to reason with myself, I just didn’t want Madonna’s first perfume to be a cheap cotton candy blend. I spray the liquid on my skin, wait for the alcohol to evaporate and bring the wrist to my nose for the moment of truth.
I haven’t purchased any of Madonna’s recent albums, and I’m not up to date on any of the latest gossip surrounding her. I just admire her for her ability to adapt and to establish new trends. As I smell Truth or Dare, I can see that this was not meant to be a trendsetter. Truth or Dare is Madonna’s mature and sophisticated self, translated into a polished, well-behaved perfume. In an interview with WWD, she said, "My oldest memory of my mother is her perfume, I carry it with me everywhere. She always smelled like gardenias and tuberose, an intoxicating mixture [that was] feminine and mysterious. I wanted to re-create this scent, but with something fresh and new about it as well."
Truth or Dare is a lush tuberose, with other white floral notes amplifying its creamy richness. The mélange of gardenia, honeysuckle and jasmine gives the composition its bright, dewy impression. The subtle green accent tempers the heady white floral bouquet, but the sparkling feeling vanishes soon enough. Then, Truth or Dare reveals its milky tuberose heart. The fragrance veers into gourmand territory with its hints of meringue and vanilla marshmallows. It is neither sugary nor cloying, but Truth or Dare plays with enough sweet notes to suggest an edible impression.
Madonna isn’t breaking any new ground with a white floral fragrance—Jennifer Aniston, Mariah Carey, Daisy Fuentes and Kim Kardashian have gone there before, but Truth or Dare is far more sophisticated and elegant. The powdery drydown is soft and caressing. As I smell it, a picture of a perfectly coifed woman at her vanity table floats up in my mind. You might know what I mean—that classical vintage ad where the beauty in a silk dress is leaning towards the mirror to touch up her flawless face. Truth or Dare isn’t a Fracas--although it tries—and most tuberose loving perfumistas wouldn’t give up their Frédéric Malle Carnal Flower for Madonna’s perfume. However, as far as celebrity fragrances go, Truth or Dare stands out for its mature character. This alone is daring enough for a commercial perfume.
Madonna Truth or Dare includes notes of gardenia, tuberose and neroli, with jasmine, benzoin tears, white lily petals, vanilla absolute, caramelized amber, and sensual musk. The fragrance is available for testing and pre-order at Macy's, and it rolls out globally in May. Eau de Parfum is sold in various sizes priced $39 to $68.
Sample: my own acquisition
Sounds great! I'm glad that she hasn't gone for the typical diabetic-coma inducing candy floss trash that every other celebrity feels the need to release.
As a Madonna lover (although I admit that she's nowhere near as good as she used to be) and a white floral lover I cannot wait to try this!
Thanks for the review :)
Posted by: The Candy Perfume Boy | March 28, 2012 at 08:30
Fantastic - can't wait to try it... This is my No 1 Designer Lemming...Celebudesigner lemming even!
Posted by: Vanessa | March 28, 2012 at 08:51
I've not been a big Madonna fan, but I do think it's rather sweet that this scent is a tribute to her late mother. And of course I love me some BWFs, so I must smell it at some point. I'm a little worried about that "caramelized amber," I admit.
Posted by: mals86 | March 28, 2012 at 09:17
Oops...my review is tomorrow, sorry we're "bunching up" again! And sounds like we're on the same page.
Posted by: Robin | March 28, 2012 at 09:46
4 stars! I'm happily stunned. When I first saw the ad I thought, oh god, here we go again with another celeb clunker, but now I am actually looking forward to heading to Macy's. I too am not up on the Madonna machine, but I'm always impressed by her ability to keep adapting to an ever changing world, especially difficult in the music business.
Posted by: Sujaan | March 28, 2012 at 09:55
The candy floss was exactly my fear, but although Truth or Dare is gourmand, it isn't cloying. It also doesn't smell cheap. A polished, well-mannered white floral. Definitely should be sampled, if you love big tuberose bouquets.
Posted by: Victoria | March 28, 2012 at 10:57
Mine too! I stalked Macy's counter till they got the testers and samples. :)
Posted by: Victoria | March 28, 2012 at 10:58
I would liked it more if it were less gourmand, but even so, it isn't cloying or heavy like Mariah Carey's first fragrance. I love big white florals, so it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
Posted by: Victoria | March 28, 2012 at 11:00
I look forward to reading your review, R! I'm pleasantly surprised that Truth or Dare is far more sophisticated than I anticipated.
Posted by: Victoria | March 28, 2012 at 11:02
She always struck me as hard-working and determined. I still remember an interview from the early 1990s with one of her back up dancers. The interviewer was asking about what Madonna does in her spare time and where she parties. The dancer said, "let me get her off the treadmill and she can tell you herself." In other words, she was always busy. Not sure if it was just the PR image she wanted to project, but somehow it stuck with me.
If you like white florals, you should definitely try Truth or Dare. It also made me think of Kate Spade (discontinued) and Versace Blonde (also discontinued).
Posted by: Victoria | March 28, 2012 at 11:08
So, if I don't like Fracas (it's just TOO much), but love Carnal Flower and find EL Tuberose & Gardenia to be a smidge too much sometimes...do you think I'll like this one?
Posted by: Kym | March 28, 2012 at 11:41
What a nice surprise!
I hope I'll have the chance to sample the perfume: there have been few celebrity-scents I've wanted to test (and sometimes I didn't even know the celebrity!) based on online reviews. All have been about white florals (Jennifer Aniston, and kardashian -who is she???, and now Madonna). But I've never seen the JA and KK on a shelf...:(
Is this fragrance loud and diffusive?
Usually it is the volume, and the cheap drydowns, that turn me off mainstream fragrances... celebrity or not.
Anyway, when a perfume appears in the same sentence with Fracas, I get curious...
Posted by: zazie | March 28, 2012 at 11:55
Truth or Dare is definitely less heady and less dramatic than Fracas. If you imagine Tuberose Gardenia with a marshmallow note, then you might have a good idea what Madonna's perfume smells like. It is less heady than the perfumes you mentioned, but it is sweeter and warmer in the drydown.
Posted by: Victoria | March 28, 2012 at 12:06
It's diffusive, but not loud. I would call it elegant and well-mannered. In other words, it isn't Poison! There is enough freshness in top to offset the richness of tuberose.
Kim Kardashian is a celebrity knowing for being a celebrity. She is an American socialite, celebutante, television personality, model, actress and businesswoman, according to Wiki. :)
Posted by: Victoria | March 28, 2012 at 12:07
Although I've never been a Madonna fan, I say good for her for not caving in to the celeb fragrance trend. Do we really need another "fresh" musk or fruity-floral or cupcake scent? I like that she looked to the past and to her mother's perfume for inspiration. And although I don't consider myself a white-floral fan, I may just have to give it a try. Tuberose can be overwhelming (in something like Fracas), so I can see myself preferring it in something that is not a heavy hitter. I like your description of it as "sophisticated and elegant".
Posted by: Patty | March 28, 2012 at 12:44
I was also happy that it isn't a cupcake! And then as I wore Truth or Dare, I realized that it's also well-done. I was wearing it earlier today, and a friend commented that it smelled "glamorous."
Posted by: Victoria | March 28, 2012 at 15:27
Glad to hear that this is a good scent. I will try to catch a sniff. I'm most certainly not a fan of Madonna, but I will count this as a point in her favour. I love white florals, so a good one will have to be sampled.
Posted by: Austenfan | March 28, 2012 at 15:52
It isn't a dramatic fragrance like Fracas, but it's very nicely done.
Posted by: Victoria | March 28, 2012 at 16:23
Big White Floral? I'm so there. Can't wait to sniff it. Hopefully, my Macy's has it.
Posted by: bulldoggirl | March 28, 2012 at 20:35
It's so much better than I anticipated, and I have been wearing it happily for the past few days. And oh yes, I love most Big White Florals!
Posted by: Victoria | March 28, 2012 at 23:55
This does sound like a lovely, sophisticated yet commerical perfume, and I'm glad to hear it, especially since it's reasonably priced. I won't be going for it, as tuberose is, sadly, a note I simply can't stand, but I can appreciate the artistry. I also liked jennifer Aniston's scent - it smells a bit on the inexpensive side, but it's pretty and well put together. I may need to be more open-minded about celebrity scents after all!
Posted by: maggiecat | March 29, 2012 at 11:04
I haven't tried Madonn'a perfume yet but I just bought her new cheerleaderesque/girl gone wild MDNA album. I like it for what it is; fun, young, carefree, not serious and no big message in it other than girls of all ages just want to have some fun! (and if it's with her 24 yr old brazilian studs then I'm down with it!).
I love gardenia and tuberose and I like sophisticated perfumes ;-)
Posted by: Emma | March 29, 2012 at 15:44
It was within the past year or two that Madonna made some 'fumer news with her statement that EL Youth Dew is the sexiest perfume on the planet and what she wore daily. (The SA in Dillard's smugly repeated the EL comment, too). Seems a little odd that if she liked her mother's white floral so much she'd go for something so utterly different in professing her adoration for Youth Dew!
Posted by: silverdust | March 29, 2012 at 18:37
oh, good! was hoping that this wouldn't disappoint! not a huge madonna fan, but figured if anyone could come out with a decent celebrity scent, it would be her. giving it four starts puts it in excellent company. can't wait to try it!
Posted by: minette | March 29, 2012 at 19:43
I love white florals, and I like how it treats tuberose. For a celebrity scent, it is great, and it can easily compete with other big launches.
Posted by: Victoria | March 29, 2012 at 23:59
Maybe, Youth Dew didn't market test as well. White florals are popular in the US year after year. So many other celebrities go for the same genre.
Posted by: Victoria | March 29, 2012 at 23:59
Sounds fun! I'm going to check it out. Haven't bough any new albums from her in a while.
Posted by: Victoria | March 30, 2012 at 00:02
I also try not to let the labels distract me. I sometimes test perfumes blindly, and it is a good exercise. I get more impatient with uber expensive niche perfumes.
Posted by: Victoria | March 30, 2012 at 00:08