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fxjfm – :
I am so upset, I bought this a couple of years ago while traveling and I loved it. I didn’t wear it every day but when I did wear it I had a lot of very happy memories associated with it.
This past year we had to move into a condo when our house sold faster than expected and we waited for our new home to be finished. So we started moving into our new home and still had things in the condo, not much but a few things including about half of my perfume collection. Well someone broke into the condo and while they didn’t take much they did take my box of perfume that I didn’t get moved. And now I am just sick about it.
Zov – :
My one-liner review for this would be easy, breezy, beautiful! I agree with multiple previous reviewers that this is a Kenzo vanilla (from the good old days). As this was released ages ago and the previous reviews indicate that all bottled have not aged particularly well, I am not sure if my opinions are based on the actual product or aging process.
On my skin this is quite linear aquatic vanilla scent. If you love deep, spicy and sweet vanillas with decent throw, this is not for you. If you are looking for a no-brainer to drench yourself on warmer days (this needs heat to bloom), this is perfect. It will not suffocate people around you, but give you a soft veil of freshness (if you do not go trigger-happy). What I really like about this is the softness of aquatics, you are not washed by a calone tsunami. There is a soft hint of generic ”cedar” and hay but the main player is vanilla.
My bottle is halfway empty, and I will happily spritz the rest during this summer. While I have really enjoyed this, I dont see a particular need for obsessive hunting or paying too much for this. It is a bit like a nice friend you meet on holiday: it is lots of fun to hang around, but no need for exchanging addresses and phone numbers when you return to reality. If a well-aged bottle falls onto your lap, try it but no need to feel like you are missing out something if it doesn’t.
Senyon – :
Lovely scent. I picked this up 7 years ago at an airport in Europe, and it still smells the same. I don’t know what lotus flower actually smells like – isn’t it usually in the middle of a pond so how do we peasants know? I thought it was a combination of bamboo, vanilla, and cedar. Very unique – nothing else like it, fits the title completely. I’ve only smelled this on one girl I know – most don’t have this in US. It is NOT just vanilla for sure…that’s what makes this stands out.
pakireev – :
Following a trend of olfactory travels, which was widespread among several companies, the house of Kenzo also released a collection of fragrances inspired by places and their exotic aromas. The first of these was 7:15 AM in Bali, in 2008, followed by this one here, in 2009. There is also a third creation, which was released in 2011, taking Sicily as inspiration.
For those who don’t know, some places are very specific to the perfumery universe, because of a certain ingredient that is produced and/or cultivated and that makes it unique as, for example, the Tahitian Tiare flower, the sandalwood from Sri Lanka, the bergamot from Calabria, the rose from Turkey or the lemon from Sicily.
In 5:40 PM in Madagascar, Kenzo has decided to explore nuances of the most famous vanilla of this market, which is obtained through a specific genre of Orchid, and very used in perfumes in the world: the vanilla of Madagascar.
In the composition were mixed notes of Lotus Flower, in the head, followed by notes of Freesia and cedar, in the body of the fragrance, over a rich and creamy vanilla base. But what is little spread is the existence of vanilla also at the top of the olfactory pyramid. No wonder it is easily noticed (and lingers), from the moment that the scent hits the skin.
Overall, this is an oriental scent with some floral nuances. I’ve read reports of users citing more the Lotus Flower and others who claim to have noticed a lot of Freesia. On my skin, this scent had an extremely linear development, with a floral touch of synthetic aspect, which is clearly a result of the freesia’s note. But the star of the fragrance is, obviously, the vanilla. Here, it is not too liqueur or too sweet. It is creamy and sweet in the right measure, giving a unique feeling of comfort. For this reason, the image of the sunset, which is depicted on the bottle, combines very well with the feeling of a cappuccino being drunk on a waterfront balcony while admiring the sunset with a blanket over the shoulders.
Although this collection has been released as a limited edition and was initially marketed only in the airports stores, 5:40 PM in Madagascar is the kind of semi-gourmand scent that can be worn easily in my country (Brazil). As I said before, it’s not too sweet. In addition, has subtle projection, making it comfortable, intimate and cosy. And there’s more: some say that it is a female perfume, but it is clearly unisex. And it works very well if worn at the same time by a couple in love, no matter of what genre or composition.
It’s the kind of perfume that you can wear in a movie night, for example, and ensures proximity all the time. And the lasting is very good!
Finally, the bottles are the same throughout the collection, with pictures of each specific place and in single size of 50 ml.
If you like slightly sweetened scents, are vanilla fan and like Kenzo’s style, this is another perfume you should test.
roman1980 – :
This is a really strange one and NOTHING like I expected.
The opening of this smells very bizarre. It smells like a very sharp slightly scorched grass, or hay. There are reeds blowing in the wind on the box and bottle and that’s what I get. I wasn’t expecting that at all. It’s actually very arid smelling and I’m going to say..not the MOST pleasant thing I’ve encountered.
The vanilla hides behind this for a while but starts to emerge when it’s dry. It’s the most non gourmand vanilla I have ever smelled! It stays crisp..light and almost airy.
I really don’t get any of the things the other reviewers have said and I’m really not sure what to make of it.
It’s a head scratcher!
🙂
wqr595Bessinepome – :
I believe I received a stale version of this fragrance. Going by the reviews, I don’t experience any of the woods or powder. Mostly, I’m just left with a stale vanilla that almost smells smoky and rancid. I don’t pick up any of Hypnotic Poison at all and that is one of my most beloved fragrances. This bottle smells old and limp.
It is unfortunate because I was excited to love this one. I love what the notes were intended to evoke and was prepared to go on an olfactory adventure. Bought the wrong ticket. Maybe next time.
ASergeyI – :
Rich vanilla with a floral twist. There is something in this thank I can’t put my finger on. Love it. I picked it up in Duty Free because it was love at first sniff. Very unique and different than any other vanilla I have tried. I used it up fast. It became my signature.
salto – :
I was always curious about this one, and I have to admit this was an on line blind buy on black Friday, but now it’s arrived and I’m in love! Totaly seduced by Kenzo! Great vanila combination in a creamy way. I found very similar to Dior J’adore. both have the same vibration on my skin.
UnekUtiny – :
I am surprised to see so few notes. I must be sensitive to one of them, because I thought it smelled cacophonous, random notes clashing together in the worst possible way.
dagtornado72 – :
One of my most special, beautiful fragrances ever.
Extremely rare, got is as gift from overseas, never saw it being sold in SA. I miss it so freaking much.
This fragrance is stunning, Kenzo always get it right.
bratiwta – :
i just purchased mine, can´t wait to sniff it!!
God! totally me! love at first siff! raw vanilla, green feeling… very close to skin.
there´s a very noticeble acquatic note in it… i´d classified it as acquatic vanilla..very much day wear vanilla
i love to wear it at the office, very safe and close to skin, despite the airy feeling to it, very close I can smell the vanilla…it´s not a provocative or seducing vanilla, it is very natural and clean… I just purchased one more duo kit to stock it up :p
cj79 – :
A nice vanilla done in the Kenzo way, I recognise the same character as in Amour only less sweet. Madagascar is a refreshing and sweet little fragrance, purely feminine and appropriate for summer wear. Not too distinctive, hence it has fallen into the back of my perfume wardrobe. I do not sense the aquatic element or the woods at all, I would just say that is a vanilla blended in a light, summery ethereal way. Uncomplicated and very easy going, it reminds me of a young beautiful girl on holidays, wearing a bikini and concentrating admiring glances from everyone without trying or realizing it. Innocent and sweet!
WesWotror – :
ALMOST DISCLAIMER EDIT: layered this one over Kiehl’s Original Musk. This layering is pure comfy cozy bliss! Kiel’s musk gave depth and heat too this too aquatic vanilla. The flowery part of the frag, otherwise too sharp, got a hint of creaminess and some sweet character (but not on a sugary or gourmand way). As a counterpart, this Kenzo toned down the soapy feature of KOM, which I don’t appreciate that much. Strongly recommended layering experience
KOKASbokas – :
Powdered wood and citrus in a very 1970s feeling. Quite lovely warm fragrance with a tart candy note that is divine.
gbx650speagoessenda – :
Somewhat disappointed with this one. Settled down too citrusy, airy and aquatic on my skin.
But it’s definitively a vanilla frag. Not a complex one, in fact, a very simple but although nicely done. Guess it’ll suit men really good.
OPEX87 – :
É delicioso, suave, doce e floral. Tem uma fixação muito boa, é elegante e fresco na medida certa (moro no Brasil). Mas se a pessoa quiser que o aroma fique mais intenso, pode aumentar a dose no corpo e, mesmo assim, continua sendo um perfume elegante. Achei o vidro maravilhoso, muito criativo, quase cinematográfico. Ou literário. Digo isso porque os nomes dos perfumes dessa série de Kenzo parecem nomes de filmes ou nomes de livros. A imagem nos vidros e a forma deles combina com essa ideia. Parabéns, Kenzo!! Obra de arte contemporânea!! ^_^
okcaHa.35 – :
Was interested to try this given that it’s labelled as unisex and I’ve worn other women’s scents by Kenzo before.
My impressions are it’s a very warm vanilla scent with a trace of a floral note with the lotus. It’s soft and veering towards the feminine for sure.
It does last though. I’ve had applications lasting from morning to night and it seems to thrive in the warmer weather.
As for the scent, once the initial floral notes temper, the vanilla dominates and in a sweet sense. The lasting note is definitely pleasant and one that I’d be comfortable to wear.
Overall, this is a pleasant calming scent that would definitely be of use when travelling and you need to freshen up or give yourself some grounding amid the chaos.
amd – :
Yes, it smells just like the Yves Rocher Vanille Noire – an ‘acquatic vanilla’. YR VN with a very very subtle floral edge to it. I’m more of a fan of the essential oily coconutty vanilla, so I’ll pass this sample on sometime.
lusv – :
Powdered wood, citrus, vanilla. Reminds me of something from the 70s, but I can’t pin it down. I think I’d be loving this if only it was stronger. On my skin, it’s almost invisible, just a bare waft of scent when it’s wet then nothing at all after. I will try layering it with unscented lotion to extend longevity, but it’s disappointing so far for not lasting. Still, seems lovely for the bits I can detect.
Turik3000 – :
Begins with a smell of wet grass and then gets a sweeter smell the vanilla.
Very comfortable and alluring to women and men.
For me one of the best scents of vanilla.
I love this perfume, it has a powerful and longlasting un sillage huge.
Perfect for use on all occasions.
I recommend.
joitleEstitle – :
A wonderful tropical vanilla scent. Bought this on a whim in the Duty Free before heading off to Bangkok. So it was inaugurated in the late afternoon heat at about 40 degrees and lots of humidity. You might think that it is too much but somehow it is well suited to a hot summer night. The lotus and woody notes keep it floral enough to stop guys from eating your neck (although they will try – I had some experience of this stuff being a man magnet!). It is a shame that it is discontinued. I managed to bag a back up bottle so I am safe for the next few years if I use it now and then. If you want some, please PM me.
sanyUserweiny – :
A delight! It begins with a half green smell to me, wet grass, but with the passage of time is left with a background of vanilla very comfortable.
KosTeT – :
a wonderfull vanilla fragnance, -which in my opinion- is perfect in really hot and humid weather. I will take it with me on my Brazil trip:-)
leonidkal1967 – :
Kenzo 5:40pm in Madagascar is a unique perfume featuring lotus and vanilla. It smells very different from other vanilla perfumes in that it is not at all sweet. I picked up a bottle of this blind out of curiosity and initially I did not like it very much because it seemed somehow off. I have to say, however, that it has grown on me over time. Now that I am used to its strange personality, I rather like it and no longer find it sour or confused.
MADAGASCAR is a true unisex fragrance, with a somewhat masculine bent, but some wearers may find the watery lotus overly synthetic, as I initially did. As my own case demonstrates, this perfume is an acquired taste!
stassidor – :
Probably one of the best vanilla scents I have ever come across. It’s not a overly sweet winter vanilla, but a fresher summer one. Could seem a bit ordinary at first, but it grows on you in a big way. Love it!
bladeg – :
I just receive my bottle and first impression was delicious not to sweet, comfort.
warm like sunset but a little soft you need spray a lot …
For people want some light vannila scent is great!!
I like something more strong….
It is nice anyway!!!
serii017 – :
I got this last summer and didn’t care for it a lot, it was very very green to me, like the scent of a wet weed pulled from the marsh. It was a nice scent in the woods, but not so good to wear. It might be that very note that smells like pecans to DresdenDoll. I get no flowers or sweetness from this during the summer at ALL. It’s mine and I had to at least like this! Well, it might be that sometimes the first few sprays are rather unpleasant in perfumes and they have to be sprayed a few times before you can detect the most pleasant notes. Perhaps it’s from the air in the sprayer, I’m not sure, but, I like this scent quite a LOT now. It still comes out green, but a fresh green, not mossy and damp. Within 30 minutes, this turns into a lovely vanilla. I dislike very much vanilla in a perfume but this is one of the exceptions for me. This is the dry, natural, vanilla that one would smell on a very hot, late afternoon, in Madagascar! Of course I can only imagine as I’ve never been there. I love to grab my sweater and smell this on it from the evening before. It’s most lovely when you can smell this the same way someone smells this ON you. This could become a favorite of mine in no time. I wonder what this summer again will bring to my nose. I hope this isn’t just a winter scent for me. Heavy damp air makes me dislike most perfumes and with luck, that’s all that made me not cozy up to this at first. Wish me luck! My only advice for this lovely scent is, buy with an open mind!
KFRandy – :
So warm. The vanilla is strong, but it’s of the best sort- rich, honeyed, smooth, clean. Very natural fragrance, as in it does remind you of the photo on the bottle, of the heady, lush air of a warm tropical evening. My sister thinks it smells like she wants to eat it.
But it smells almost exactly like this:
A vanilla bean red (rooibus) tea I used to have.
So rich and flavorful, sweet and fragrant, that it didn’t really need the honey I always added.
In the same way as savoring a cup of that tea, this is personal pleasure of mine, my madagascar scent.
shyrik83 – :
I really don’t understand why the opening of this is like a blast of pecans to me! I really like it but I wasn’t expecting it. I don’t get flowers but the woody pecan-like scent blends smoothly into a warm woody vanilla, very natural. Such a nice woody vanilla scent. This does draw up an image of a bright orange sun setting in Madagascar, where vanilla orchids bloom and the wood for a fire is being prepared. Nice sillage and good staying power too, I like this one a lot.
FAIR – :
I like the fact that it is uncomplicated, yet interesting. Yummy like Baileys 😉
junik77 – :
I love it!!in my skin is very sensuall.
I give it 10,sillage and long lasting very good 🙂
bad alex – :
What I get the most out of 5:40 Madagascar – is lotus and vanilla. It also has this woody undertone, similar to the scent of furniture.
I did not expect to find it so overpowering, but it is, to the point where it becomes headache-inducing. It has all the attributes to become a cozy fragrance, but unfortunately it verges on being annoying. I think it simply lacks the necessary balance in its composition. Too bad, I expected to really like it.
KuDS – :
The beginning is strong and woody. Some of my friends said this smelled like old wood but I’ve liked a little. I didn’t follow all the steps of the perfume, I’ve to confess, but some hours after it was so pleasent! A beautiful and feminine vanilla. I felt like I was floating because of the sensitivity of this fragrance. Spray this and wait to, later, just feel the magic.
1234567890assa – :
Maravillosa fragancia de Kenzo, uso hace un par de años 7,15 am in Bali, pero definitivamente me aburrió. Hay un “algo” que nosé definir que me ah terminado por cansar , en otra review leí lo mismo que ahora afirmo. Así que ahora es mi nuevo perfume de gimnasio. En cambio esta versión que se le parece mucho es bastante más delicada, menos intrusiva aún si es que cabe, femenina y misteriosa, limpia y cálida, empolvada y fresca sin caer en el talco que tanto gusta a Kenzo. Sencillamente deliciosa , mejor para verano y primavera con trenzas en el cabello y ropa suelta y vaporosa, gracias Kenzo una vez más.Vainilla suave, sin llegar a dulce y el loto tampoco cae en las típicas notas acuáticas, la armonía es perfecta y se complementan excelentemente. Un 10.
тело – :
I have it and absolutely love it.
It’s a simple fragrance, but it’s beautiful in its simplicity.
There’s a beautiful vanilla – airy, fresh, absolutely adorable, probably the prettiest vanilla in perfumes I’ve ever smelt.
There’s also lotus noticeable, pretty one.
The fragrance is very optimistic, it calms down but doesn’t make you sleep, you last and last in admiration. My first time with Madagascar wasn’t that great though, because I thought it was too simple. No way! The second time and love was born 😀
It lasts longer on me than Kenzo in Bali, the sillage is good 🙂
коля доля – :
i got mine in a dutyfree shop on airport as well, attracted by the nice bottle, it was love at first sniff.
i don’t think it’s a only vanilla scent at all. it’s a very airy complex but almost linear scent from top to bottom.
the cedar is very delightful and round, the flowers light and sweet, the vanilla lingers smoothly in the background. the scent is very powdery, earthy, woody, warm, with a hint of lovely vanilla.
it stays close to skin and will let you catch some wiffs the whole day long. when hugging people they always compliment how good i smell when i wear this! this would certainly not offend anyone… i even think it will attract people to come closer to you 🙂
maybe it’s not sexy but confidential. can’t stop to sniff my wrist and let me feel immediately cosy and safe. it stays for days on clothes as well.
this scent is very wearable for work as for a night out in summer. i would wwear it also in winter for a comfy feeling after having a shower or sitting around with your beloved at home.
toxa1961 – :
I’ve tried so hard to love it, but for me it has simply no personality, it’s a very soft woody scent with a hint of lotus. I wouldn’t define it as an oriental vanilla at all.
andrey_maksimov – :
Very much of a non-offensive vanilla. Not cloying. Airy… I see it at every airport, though it is hard to find in the average shops.
Борис Сириус – :
Oh, how lovely scent is this. Gorgeous vanilla, different to Wish vanilla. I wish I could eat myself, I love it very much.
A great surprise from dear friend Nathalie.
RithTinuouh – :
I am using it for the first time today and I sprayed it about 8 hours ago and is lasting till now. It’s a pleasant sweet (but not to much) scent, very vanilla (this is all I get after 8 hours).
I felt, at first, a odd smell, that I figured later it is oakmoss. Truly, I never smelled oakmoss, but after I read here that theres is some in this parfumes’s composition, I reallize that it must be it. I found it a strange smell, I could feel it after 3, 4 hours. Than, I smell only vanilla and some flower that I can’t name.
It is a sweet and nice fragrance, good enough to every day use, better in colder days.
topmobilkaru – :
I feel vanilla and smooth silky spices, but no waterlily and no oakmoss at all.Feels like a humid morning in tropics, the name is very becoming.Sweet enough but not too much, and vanilla is not a confectionary one – it`s raw and spicy (if you ever tried to eat a vanilla pod, you know!
dakikrim – :
I’ve tested it last week at Ljubljana airport in duty free shop and because I like white flowers, it was a great experience to tested it. I like it very much and it is already on my wish list.
Goldands – :
I was very excited when I found it in duty free store at Gatwick airport. I love vanilla so I sprayed it on my wrist and after I smelled it, it brought my early teen memories back. I found that really odd and couldnt figure out why this happened. I was thinking about it all day and then I realised that it smells very much like Spice Girls Impulse deodorant, the one with the orange cap on it (I know, thats really weird) – it was discountinued years ago but I swear it smells very similar.
Overall, it is a pleasant ‘fresh vanilla’, but I find it a bit too simplistic – I wish at least one more note would be added to create deepness. Its longevity on my skin was quite good -I could smell it on my wrist for about 5 hours
nura232 – :
At the beginning it smells like morning dew, wet grass, pure herbs, I couldn’t smell any flower, but after a while vanilla with freesia and lotus, and it seems you are walking in a forest, maybe they shouldn’t have classified it as oriental/vanilla, because it’s more green than anything.
Титов777 – :
I tried this one on in the cosmetics section of a shop aboard a cruise ship. I did at first not understand that it was a unisex scent beacuse it’s very sweet and vanillia esque. But unfortunatley this perfume does after ca 7 mins on my skin. Turn into something that smells like washing up liquid mixed with vodka. It gave me and the pepole that I where traveling with a severe headache! Yuck.
silviutaranu – :
This sent is so relaxing
It immediately whisks you away from all your worries and day to day life.
It reminds me of the sweet breeze after a hot summer day. It is really gorgeous it is not super, overly done, sweet. It is naturally sweet.
terryiyi73 – :
First I didn’t konw the smell, and I just take appreciate the bottle, the picture, and the mirage it would like to express. And when I got it in DFS, I really love this perfume, especially the smell of Freesia & Vanilla. I had long for Kenzo perfume for a long time but this time I believe this one the best of Kenzo.
phil54new – :
Very nice edition, only found in airports. Just like the picture here on the site it evokes precious woods in a warm afternoon. I like it as it is not too sweet. Will definitely test with more occasions.