Crème D’Nude by MAC

I bought it blind, partly for the notes and partly for the brand, as I already own Velvet Teddy and it’s divine; I never imagined such quality in MAC perfumes. Crème de Nude starts on my skin with a discreet musk, nothing animal or challenging. Then the magic happens: a sweet nougat scent, vanilla-infused, with a floral base of jasmine and orange blossom. It’s addictive, sexy, and gourmand. Unisex, feminine, with great longevity lasting over 8 hours. Versatile, timeless, and unique. I even sleep with this scent now, captivated and surprised.

It’s a soft musk and caramel perfume. It has a modest sillage and projection, but medium longevity. I think it’s ideal for anyone seeking something sweet and gourmand for spring.

I wanted it before it was discontinued, as people were raving about it. It smells good, but on me, once it dries down, it seems extremely similar to Mon Guerlain. Longevity is acceptable and sillage is moderate. For the price and for home use, it’s more than adequate.

MAC perfumes lack subtlety; they hit the skin and create an almost tangible, radioactive aura that can feel quite brash. They are notoriously unisex (though Candy Yum Yum and Lady Danger might be exceptions—I tested them on skin and they felt feminine, but everyone chooses their own adventure). I own three: Crème de Nude, Ruby Woo (red fruits with leather), and My Heroine (raw smoked leather plus incense and saffron, my favourite notes). For the latter two, the inspiration would be Tuscan Leather by Tom Ford, although in my view they only share the leather. Subjectively, they don’t envy anything, not even Tom Ford’s absurd price, and these days that’s no small detail. Back then, MAC and TF both belonged to Estée Lauder, so similarities aren’t surprising, just like Velvet Teddy (ginger, vanilla, honey, and tobacco) with Tobacco Vanille. One stalactite winter day, during my first casual encounter, I was so impressed by My Heroine that I generously applied the tester to a scarf, and I can still smell it today, even though I’ve washed it several times. I’ll never forget that walk home where I literally felt inside an exquisite cloud of leather, incense, and saffron. Today I enjoy Crème de Nude: a vanilla-infused fragrance that reminds me of Kenzo’s 7:15 in Bali (limited edition available only in free shops), with passion fruit, orchid, and Madagascar vanilla (I’m hopeless at detecting floral notes except for the opulent ones like jasmine, neroli, tuberose, rose, etc.) and it vibrates with the wonderful Amour from the Japanese brand. There’s plenty of relaxation and personal enjoyment in this juice. At the end, there’s an exquisite but fleeting neroli that within minutes gets smothered by suede, a non-animal musk, and a butter toffee-style caramel that never gets cloying, all amalgamated with Madagascar vanilla. A spicy, addictive, and sexy treat with quality well above average. The rectangular, caramelised, frosted bottle is on point: an escapist perfume with warm yet soothed nuances compared to Candy Yum Yum (pure fruitiness). Ideal for intermediate seasons and preferably for daytime. Its performance is notable: it exceeds 8 hours with moderate projection and lasts 11/12 hours on skin. Unfortunately, MAC no longer sells fragrances in Argentina, except for Velvet Teddy and My Heroine; the other four were only available in MAC stores at good prices. I don’t recommend blind buying except for Crème and Candy, the friendliest of the six we had. I wish you all great MAC experiences!