Reyna by Maison Alhambra

Smells like marshmallow, whipped cream, and raspberry. If you don’t like sweet scents, this might feel heavy. It’s youthful, fun, and very present, like opening a new doll. Perfect for cold or rainy days. Lasts 8-9 hours on clothes with moderate projection and is very affordable. It’s 90% similar to Oriana, so if you’re looking to save money with that profile, it’s a great option.

Just bought it and thought I’d like it, but it’s a scent I’ve seen before. It’s not ugly, but I had higher expectations. As soon as I sprayed it, it reminded me of another fragrance I couldn’t recall the name of until I saw it in my collection: Love Don’t Be Shy! They’re very similar. What lasts the most is the citrus; I don’t detect the raspberry or blackcurrant. P.S. It also reminded me of those little girls’ planners that used to come pre-scented.

I didn’t like it. If this is a gourmand, it’s like a half-baked dessert. It has meringue and citrus, but they forgot the sugar despite having sweet notes. It barely smells of red fruits. I don’t know if they were inspired by a Pavlova tart, but if that was the idea, it’s a fail for me.

Another blind buy I recommend for daily use. The opening is pure citrus, raspberry, and cream. It has potential but falls short on longevity and sillage. Honestly, it doesn’t convince me. It’s the kind of perfume my grandma would wear, and yes, it’s probably my skin chemistry not receiving it well. Like all Arab perfumes, I’ll let it macerate for a few days and give it another shot in a couple of weeks. P.S. I’m back two months later and it improved quite a bit, but it still doesn’t sit right with me. Now it has more body and the raspberry stands out, but it doesn’t last long. Even after showering and moisturizing, it doesn’t reach two hours. It’s improved, but I won’t buy it again. I still insist it has the performance of a cologne. Conclusion: let it macerate.

Reyna by Maison Alhambra, a gourmand fragrance. 💖 Excellent performance: lasts a minimum of 8 hours on skin and on clothes until you wash them. They say it’s identical to Oriana by Parfums de Marly, and I tested a decant of Love Don’t Be Shy by Killian and it brought me back to Reyna, very much in that style.

I have a decant of a brand I trust; it’s not my first Arabic perfume, and I haven’t tried the original Oriana, but this DNA just doesn’t work for me. I can’t pinpoint which note gives me that weird ‘old and young girl’ vibe, so I wouldn’t recommend buying it blindly. That said, the longevity is good.

Delicate and very feminine. Sweet without being over the top. I own it and love it. The raspberry and bomboloni notes are very prominent. It doesn’t evolve much, and I don’t feel it’s artificial like others claim. I like wearing it at home and for sleeping.

I bought it and honestly, I don’t like it at all; the scent is very synthetic.

I loved it! At first, it smells like detergent, but that fades quickly to reveal a wonderful scent. It’s sweet without being cloying, with a fruity touch like a candy, but it’s not 100% gourmand. I was very surprised; it’s a gorgeous fruity-floral-gourmand, even for someone like me who doesn’t usually like fruity scents.

It’s a pleasant aroma; once it settles, it becomes quite sweet, a bit creamy, and yes, somewhat artificial, but not cloying. I didn’t love it entirely, but it’s wearable for everyday, the office, or personal enjoyment since it gives me a sense of home. You can’t ask for more; 100 ml at a super reasonable price. It’s not a bad purchase, but I doubt I’ll repurchase.

I agree with those who say the opening isn’t pleasant. It’s citrusy and sharp, nothing like the rest of the notes. It feels artificial. Once those initial notes fade, it becomes a floral scent that gradually gains sweetness and creaminess. On my skin, it smells heavily of marshmallows, which is very pleasant: sweet but not cloying.

I’ve never smelled Marly’s Oriana, so I can’t comment on its quality as a dupe, but I’ll limit myself to describing my experience with Reyna: I love it. At first, the sharp citrus opening threw me off, followed by an intense scent of a doll straight out of its packaging, almost childish. Over time, I started to appreciate it more; in fact, you need to let it air out a bit. Now I can’t stop wearing it. It’s soft and powdery, like a sweet marshmallow. Longevity on my skin is 5-6 hours, though projection is medium-to-low; if you want it to be felt, you need to apply at least 20 sprays.

One of my favorites from Maison Alhambra, sweet and exquisite; it smells like a delicious raspberry and cream cake. The downside is that longevity and projection are scarce; it’s intimate, others don’t notice it, and I only get about 3 hours on my wrist. But I love it. I’d buy it again because despite the short wear time, I keep it in my bag and reapply; the scent is addictive.

It’s sweet with acidic notes and enjoyable year-round. I love the packaging with the tassel. It’s the second one from this brand I’ve bought (the other is Delilah), and both surprised me: on my skin, they last about 10 hours. I would definitely buy it again.

It’s a super sweet fragrance. If you love marshmallows, whipped cream, orange blossom, and blackcurrants, you’ll adore it. It smells like a meringue dessert. If you like Marly’s Oriana, this is an excellent option. It’s much cheaper and similar 90-95%, so it’s worth trying.