Crème D’Nude by MAC

Bought it blind, partly for the notes and partly for the brand since I own Velvet Teddy and it’s divine; I never imagined this quality in MAC perfumes. Crème D’ Nude starts on my skin with a subtle musk, nothing animal or challenging. Then comes the magic: 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.

A soft musk and caramel scent. It has low sillage and projection, but medium longevity. I think it’s perfect for anyone looking for 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. Acceptable longevity and moderate sillage. For the price and for home use, it’s more than adequate.

MAC perfumes lack subtlety; they land heavily on the skin and create an almost tangible, radioactive, and coarse aura. 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 favorite notes). The latter two seem inspired by Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather, though in my opinion, they only share the leather. Subjectively, they don’t envy anything, not even Ford’s absurd price, and that’s no small detail today. Back then, MAC and TF were both under 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 impacted by My Heroine that I generously applied the tester to a scarf, and I can still smell it today, even after washing it several times. I’ll never forget that walk home where I literally felt inside an exquisite cloud of leathers, incense, and saffron. Today I enjoy Crème de Nude: a vanilla-scented fragrance reminiscent of Kenzo’s 7:15 in Bali (limited edition available only in free shops), featuring passionfruit, orchid, and Madagascar vanilla (I’m terrible at detecting floral notes except for opulent ones like jasmine, neroli, tuberose, rose, etc.) and vibrates with the wonderful Amour by the Japanese brand. There’s a lot of relaxation and personal enjoyment in this juice. At the end, there’s an exquisite but fleeting neroli that gets suffocated in minutes by suede, a non-animal musk, and a butter toffee caramel that never gets cloying, all amalgamated with Madagascar vanilla. A spicy, addictive, and sexy treat with quality far above average. The rectangular, caramelized, frosted bottle fits the bill: 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 lasts over 8 hours with moderate projection and reaches 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 at 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!