Description
The house of Martin Margiela is launching a brand new collection of fragrances called Replica, as an addition to the Replica fashion line. The collection of fragrances consists of three perfumes for women named Flower Market, Beach Walk and Funfair Evening. Each of them triggers a characteristic memory and is accompanied with a cotton label describing its provenance.
Perfumers who were invited to participate in creation of the new collection are Jacques Cavallier and Marie Salamagne. Funfair Evening is composed of apple, star anise and a marshmallow along with caramel and orange blossom.
The fragrances are poured into classical, simple bottles similar to those in apothecaries, while their outer carton is illustrated with a photograph reflecting the topic of each of the fragrances.
All three perfumes are available starting from the end of June 2012, as 100 ml eau de toilette.
pelya – :
Smells like FUN. I adore Maison Margiela … and I love tis one. A scent of candied appels, candy floss, popcorn and rollercoasters and licorice. Feminine, humorous, out there and sceaming Happy times and Happy memories og childhood, laughing and just beeing alive.
Longevity and silage definetely ok.
Maakros – :
I LOVE this perfume! I’ve never smelled anything like it; it’s sweet but unique. The addition of anise to the marshamllow and caramel, makes it a more unusual gourmand. When I spritz this on, I can’t stop sniffing my wrist! Funfair Evening seems to get a lot of mixed reviews, but to each their own and I really enjoy it.
narneorgap – :
This was my second buy from the Replica line, right after By The Fireplace stole my heart and transported it to the cozy Swiss cabin of my dreams. I saw star anise listed as a prominent note, and that was all I needed to hear. (The fact that in 1994 I was a ten year old growing up in Los Angeles didn’t hurt, either; I was curious to see if this would bring back memories of the Santa Monica Pier of my youth.)
First off, no, it didn’t. It’s way too sweet and pleasant smelling to recall the LA beach cities in any era!
My immediate reaction to this scent was confusion – nine times out of ten, this is a strong indicator that I’m about to fall in love with a fragrance, and yup, sure enough, I fell hard and fast. I never before related to people saying they’d like to “bathe” in a perfume – I get that it’s hyperbole, but even as a playful suggestion, it turned me off. This one changed that for me. I’d actually love to fill a tub with Funfair Evening and splash around in the delicious notes of star anise, burnt sugar, and candy floss.
Unfortunately, that’s probably what I’d have to do to get this to stick around on my skin for more than a couple of hours and leave a trail of candy scented sparkles in my wake – my kingdom for a Replica frag that doesn’t require fifteen (!!!) spritzes to achieve decent projection!
gesha555000 – :
How do you vote for marshmallows that aren’t on the pyramid
Alexandr.joker969 – :
@Bstefcorbin maybe try layering with Music Festival from the same collection? I have no idea if it would work but judging by the notes it might add that ‘badass teen’ vibe you’re looking for!
sergius20 – :
A quick check of the notes according to our members tells you all you need to know about this replica. Star anise is most prominent and remains throughout this soft & sweet fluff of a scent. The fun in Funfair evening is for the whole family, tot’s and Grandma’s included. I was hoping to find something more for the rebellious teens smoking behind the tilt a whirl, and the crunked out carnie barker working the ring toss.
натуля – :
I was in love with the idea behind this perfume. I’m all about warm cozy fun feelings, especially if it can be emulated in a fragrance. And I was excited about the star anise, as I like a little spice in most of my perfumes.
Yes I smell cotton candy. Yes I smell caramel. Yes I smell the anise. Yes I smell that warmth and sweetness of a summer night at a beach side carnival. But unfortunately, Funfair Evening is like a firework that pops and sparkles, then fades very quickly into darkness.
After about five minutes, the ride jolts to an unexpected halt, almost giving me whiplash. Suddenly I am nauseated by a sourness that ruins the rest of my anticipated fun-filled evening.
Like when you finally get your rainbow sprinkled ice cream cone
and it immediately falls on the ground,
face down, and you start to cry.
But it’s chemistry, it’s not the perfume’s fault. There’s just something in this mixture that does not sit well with my skin.
Big sad face.
dimidrol – :
One interesting thing about memories is the way they come to our mind. Some events are so striking that in a way we remember them as if we were experiencing them again, with all the possible details, textures and colors. In other cases, a memory is more of a distant picture, which almost escapes our mind, a kind of blur of what we’ve actually experienced. The Funfair Evening perfume from the Replica Collection blends the two things into its existence.
In theory, the brand seems to want to capture an ultra-realistic moment that records an funfair in its transition to the night. An atmosphere that records the heat of the night, the laughter, melodies, striking colors, and the sweet, sugary scent of sweets spreading through the air. It is a vivid, intense environment that denotes a gourmand execution in a very clear way.
And yet, all this sounds distant, more like olfactory echoes that reverberate in the nose in the same way that the sound of the sea suggests the beach and the ocean im distant form when we lean a shell in the ear. Funfair Evening never delivers the saturation it promises, which can be both a frustration and a relief depending on how much you like sugary gourmands. It is a perfume that uses the softness and delicacy of the musks as if they were the wind, carrying the juicy aroma of the fruits, the sensuality and the color of the flowers and the sugary and vanilla sweetness that would be present in an amusement park. At most, the heat of the skin makes this aerial impression more alive, but still it is much more peripheral than vibrant as the concept promises.
dimonshef11 – :
“Funfair Evening” is the first fragrance (known to me so far) in which I can really smell anise, and I love it. It grounds down the caramel, and gives it a fun twist.
The end result is a “casual” gourmand, not too sweet. Something easy but not boring to wear. I would definitely recommend you smell this one, and see how you enjoy the combo.
The lasting power is unfortunately just not there, and neither is the silage, so while “Funfair Evening” is fun while it lasts, it’s not a fragrance I will be purchasing in the near future.
Advaseswakete – :
Very nice. Less harsh than I expected, Foxcroft Fairgrounds by Solstice Scents for example is way more out there than this. This is a soft fluffy blanket of red apple, marshmallows, orange blossom and anise. Pleasing. I would really like to smell this on a guy.
WeannyWilandarfvc – :
I don’t know how the fair in Santa Monica in 1994 smelled, but in my experience funfairs do not smell like this “Replica” perfume. I would have expected something more loud and aggressive from the name, maybe with a roasted almond or slightly burnt cotton candy note.
Nevertheless I like this and can’t understand the negativity.
Funfair Evening is a soft scent that stays close to the body and has an average longevity, but not a weak barely there scent.
It’s just not cloying or hardcore gourmand and could be worn in mildly warm weather as well as in wintertime.
When I first spray it on there is petitgrain and a fresh green apple for a short moment.
Beneath there are soft powdery marshmallow, star anise and white floral notes. The fragrance becomes very creamy on my skin – a delicious blend of anise, caramel and orange flower.
Clean musk is in the background, I think, and everything dries down to sweet white floral and vanilla with still a hint of star anise.
nanotech – :
As one who has been to the Santa Monica pier many times, I was a little disappointed that Funfair did not have any marine notes. I wish the white florals were more prominent, as star jasmine is everywhere in the area in spring and into early summer, and it’s quite potent. I also wish there was a hint of tobacco, since fairs often smell like cigarette smoke and kettle corn.
Yet I don’t dislike this fragrance. It’s a good subtle gourmand, light enough for warm days. The price is pretty hefty for what it is. Try not to pay full price for this one.
Also, don’t combine it with Beach Walk like I did. Blech.
Addendum: wore this on a rare cold and rainy May Day. The white florals are much more prominent. Still no star jasmine though. Might layer it with Pacifica Star Jasmine (even though that fragrance doesn’t quite get the exact scent right, either).
wad w – :
This takes alot of stick but to me it is actually reminiscent of walking around the fair that came to town once a year as a kid. The sweet smell of toffee apples, candy floss, I sense some anis, caramel and marsh mellows, wafts of delights you would buy on your way home after riding the dodger and waltzer! The lightness of it makes me feel I’m back on that field, at that fair and to me thats priceless.
abuse12hd99 – :
I was so hoping for a caramel apple marshmallow with this! Alas on my skin all I get is an initial spray of Good and Plentys, followed by Smarties, finally drying down to a gentle floral musk. It’s all very nicely done (licorice *never* smells good on me, but this one does!) and authentically yummy smelling, no chemical blast or platic for example. It’s just not caramel apple.
mustafa – :
I see this one gets a lot of negative reviews which proves to me how different a fragrance performs on each person.
This starts off green on me. It must be the petitgrain and orange blossom. I also get a fresh juicy fruit note (green apple).
Soon it will turn sweeter when the gourmand notes show up. I can clearly smell the marshmallow and caramel notes along with the anise. I really like anise in perfumes, in this one it’s very subtle though. This fragrance is never just sweet or gourmand on me. The green and fresh notes stay with me almost until the end.
In the end it’s sweet and a little bit musky & powdery with some anise.
I’m not a big fan of gourmands but I like this one because it’s not just a gourmand. I don’t know if I’ll ever buy a large bottle but I’ll be happy with a decant.
It’s also a very joyful perfume to me and it’s quite translucent if you get what I mean. It’s never thick or cloying. Give it a try.
ryabchenko.1974 – :
While candy isn’t my thing to eat , i emensly enjoy liquerish and the taste of fennel seeds covered in candy , and this is exactly what funfair evening reminds me of. Anis seeds covered in a sugary shell of candy. Followed by caramel , marsmellows and candied apples. Very much a gourmand fragrance , gorgeous for cooler days but also very suitable in the hot summer. To me this a a great, easy to wear versatile fragrance. Easier to pull of than angel or prada Canada , although prada candy is pretty easy to wear .
I like how the Replica line smells quite natural. He must use very goood ingredients in his fragrances. I love that each fragrance takes us to places and memories , that they smell like things we love and enjoy rather than the smell of perfume. There is a time and a place and a mood for each.
I like a hefty perfume to go out at night or to dinner. But the Replicas are a great choice for just hanging out , inoffensive and cozy , not very dressy nor classy. Just good fun or delicious aromas that are quite addictive.
Love the presentation of the bottles. The apothecary style is well suited for this line. However a lid would be nice for traveling.
Lovjgin_63 – :
L’Oréal basically has 5 or 6 perfumes and then tweaks them slightly and re-releases them across their brands. Funfair Evening is basically Yves Saint Laurent Manifesto, which I LOVE and constantly receive compliments on. It is surprising how many Fragrantica users don’t understand the Relica range. They’re designed to be a complete experience, not a traditional fragrance. The top notes of anise and apple do not last. It is there to add to the entirety of the carnival vibe. When it settles, you get warm vanilla and amber with a touch of orange blossom. I have a full bottle of Manifesto but I still bought this. ADORE
tubaretka – :
Got this today and was super excited…until I sprayed it. Was hoping for a sugary sweet smell but instead was hit with a strong floral smell I’d imagine my grandmother wearing when I was little. Disappointed. *sigh*
qxs671Negeltzex – :
I love this. If you’re looking for a cotton candy fragrance that is still pleasant and inoffensive for the most part, you have to try this. I smell cotton candy with sweet tarts and fruit. The perfume does not smell cheap like most sweet fragrances. It is a bit overpriced though. I don’t smell anise, thank God.
geolog2000 – :
I had high hopes for Funfair Evening as I love gourmand fragrances. However, upon spraying the fragrance, along with the cotton candy, a synthetic, volatile note also bursts out, which makes the scent very sharp and artificial in an unappealing way. This synthetic nuance does wear off, and the fragrance dries down to a soft caramel and orange blossom, nice, comforting, but not something unprecedented in the gourmand genre. On the test strip, the anise and orange blossom together, actually give out an intriguing ‘dirty’ edge, but unfortunately, it’s entirely lost on my skin.
The sillage is moderate at first, and drops to soft after about 1 hour. The longevity is around 6 hours. I don’t entirely dislike Funfair Evening, but I’m not impressed, either. I think there’re other more fun or more sophisticated gourmand fragrances with similar combination of notes, and I wouldn’t particularly recommend this fragrance.
bahoh – :
Based on a sample from Sephora, the candy floss (marshmallow, star anise, caramel combo) was too realistic for me. A dip in pink or blue spun sugar without sophistication. Was there a bit of popcorn in there too? It was wearable but it wasn’t expensive perfume (which it should be with that price tag). This scent is exactly what it claims to be: a replica of a funfair. It didn’t, however, make me smell or feel yummy. It’s an after-the-fair linger rather than an enticement. By comparison, D&G’s Pour Femme is marshmallow done right. Similar but feminine and sexy.
trubul – :
I tried this at Sephora. It smells like the candy floss stand, but does not remind me of a Fair Ground. It turned to a very light skin scent after about one hour, very hot and humid today so that is probably why. On the whole it is a pleasant scent but not FBW for me.
Now, if you added diesel fumes, warm grease from the rides and fried onions that would bring back sooooo many fond memories.
kalnandrej – :
Against all other reviews here I must say I liked it a lot, didn’t buy it only because it was too expensive and with too little staying power.
The reason I like it is simple – it lives up its name: it really gave me the feeling of a funfair evening, romantic and melancholic at the same time. It’s a nice evening, you are happy in that moment but there’s also a slightly sad feeling because you know it’s going to be over soon. Have you ever felt like this?
So, as Replica is the point of this collection, I say this perfume does it well. If it’s good perfumery or not, I think it depends on the point of view. It’s not a masterpiece for its notes or staying power but it smells and feels like it’s supposed to.
vlad1975 – :
This scent has a rather bad reputation. Not many are positive towards it. I can sort of understand why. It has a very sweet and intense smell. Luckily for me my skin handles sweetness very well. I kind of like this one.
Funfair Eveneing is a concoction of sweet candy notes like marshmallow, caramel, cotton candy, candied apple and candied violets (I believe the candied violet note is a result of the combination of orange blossom and star anise, because it is not listed as a note). An intense, playful and fun gourmand that makes you feel like you are in a candy shop – or at a Funfair at Santa Monica Pier in 1994 (which is the inspiration for this scent).
It has a slight musky vibe, although musk is not listed amongst the ingredients. This might also be the combination of orange blossom and star anise, or maybe orange blossom and marshmallow. I lean towards the latter. It reminds me a bit about the musk note in BodyShops White Musk Libertine by Leona Lewis. Also a very sweet gourmand with candy notes.
I think Funfair Evening would work well as a playful, yet cozy and relaxed summer evening fragrance. Can’t wait for the weather to become warmer.
The only downside, for me, is that the scent doesn’t last that long. It has great sillage when it’s there, but it’s almost all gone after about 4 hours. Just a faint whiff of red apple is left.
Fetomivot – :
Something’s wrong with me. Or perhaps with my bottle of Funfair Evening. I’ve been reading all these comments about it smelling like cotton candy and marshmallow. Well, I do not smell it at all. AT ALL. I find it very hard to describe what I smell. It does smell synthetic, and the drydown does smell a little bit sweet. But I do not recognise anything in it. I’ve been thinking there’s two versions of this perfume. I bought mine in France at a rather “niche” store. I’m sorry I bought it…
166202 – :
I can understand why people might not like it, it’s got a very, very sweet opening, smelling exactly like old school cotton candy. What makes the scent unique, to me, is just after that sweet opening, the scent sort of flawlessly glides into the white floral scent. I love it. Somedays the white floral seems stronger to me, and other days the cotton candy scent seems stronger, if it really bothers you I might layer with another white floral perfume, but this scent is delicious and wonderful. What makes this work for me is that I don’t detect chocolate or vanilla or caramel or any of those other sweet gourmand smells, just straight up cotton candy, and it doesn’t last long before the floral kicks in and stays (though the floral always ends up smelling sweet and friendly).
sea1973sea – :
This perfume is like a high school girl sneaking her first cigarette. It smells sweet, almost like cotton candy, but with a slight smoky, almost tobacco-like smell to it. Very interesting perfume Reminds me of Escada Magnetism. The dry-down definitely smells better than the initial scent.
SllisoCaton – :
An absoultely horrfic scent. It reminds me of burnt popcorn and smells cheap and synthetic. Not what I was expecting from one of my favorite designers!
djoi13 – :
I’ve written so many bad reviews lately, I feel like I have to leave a good one! I just love the idea of smelling like the Santa Monica Pier in 1994. This is a fun gourmand. I don’t like it $125, but I like it.
Vardan Petikian – :
Don’t really understand the hate. It’s not the most exciting scent, but I wouldn’t call any of Maison Martin Margiela’s scents “exciting”. Beach Walk smells like Bobbi Brown Beach, Jazz Club is a simple, boozy leather and the original resembles Mugler Cologne.. all nice, but not a one of them “challenging” or “unique”.
Funfair Evening is a pleasant, fluffy gourmand. I like star anise so this one is a winner for me, despite my usual dislike of gourmand scents. No burning plastic or eye searing vanilla to be found.
The marshmallow note actually smells like marshmallow instead of just a generic powdery sweetness. The caramel isn’t sticky or overwhelming.
I’m not in a rush to own it, but if I ever find myself feeling the urge to own something gourmand, I will most likely turn to this scent.
breyton648 – :
The ruin of a brand. Margiela used to be outstanding, in everything. This collection is a shame. Even massive brands can make it better. I smelled them alllllll. Crap.
addyalone – :
A pleasant gourmand but without any unpleasant musky notes it’s no surprise it doesn’t last very long. Lovely, cloud-like, cotton-candy powderiness. Little sillage.
aarmen16 – :
terrible to my nose…sweet but in the bad way… cheap plastick smell! sorry!
sasha sasha – :
To me this smells of marshmallow and cotton candy, which is nice and a bit quirky (in a good way) but I wish there was more happening in this scent… It is just so very simple, so boring…
Brodskuy – :
I was given a sample , as I tried it in a store, and like it on a papaer. When I came home and decided to try it: nothing special. Can not destinguish any good element for me. Nah…
P.S. What is distinctive is somewhat “plasticky”, i like that note.
p.s. I saw the perfumeurs, who was noses in this perfume, strange thing, i like most of their treasures, to name a few Chic (Herrera), boudoir (Westwood)
львенок2010 – :
Saw these, remembered that they’re new, but I didn’t remember if I wanted to test any, so I picked Funfair Evening. The bottle is so gorgeous and amazing, I liked the sprayer very much xD
The scent is nice too. But… Too common. I did expect something sweet, but high end with some niche quality olfactory experience. Nah… Marshies! This note is very strong and pairs up with good caramel note. The caramel note is soft and makes me suspect it is a real food flavoring here xD As I smelled and enjoyed it, I’ve got instant idea, that I smelled this somewhere… where? I thought, maybe similar to Loverdose? Uhm… Not quite, maybe just same direction. Then, maybe Royal Desire? Um.. yes quite that. Marshmallow, that one has it too. And it is as yummy, and much much cheaper. Maybe it doesn’t have that lasting power, but I’d chose Royal Desire over this one. It’s nice but there are many other caramels and vanillas with great quality and not overpriced. Doesn’t trigger anything either :3
krazy1998 – :
yes this is really terrible, the drydown is similar to Kenzo Amour but Amour is much better quality,MMM came out with a lovely floral a few years ago but these Replica smell cheap and common
boris52 – :
A gourmandic “eau” which is able to be both trendy and obsolete at the same time and in a very bad way. Cheap crap.
Rating: 3/10