Maroussia (1992)
by Slava Zaitsev

Maroussia starts out with a floral soapy vibe. Remembers those "old" fashionable soaps where the smell was all about flowers? Well, that's the kind of smell we get when first applying this fragrance. After some time, we will get a blast of flowers (sorry, I can't distinguish between them) and at the final stage of this fragrance, we have musk and some other animal derived notes.

21st August, 2011.

It is as if you are in Russia attending a Russian Oprah wearing a gorgeous burgundy velvet gown, with dazzling diamonds and a mink wrap If Princess Anastasia was to wear a perfume, this would be it. This scent is as rich as it is haunting. The bottle is as attractive as the smell it contains. The perfume smells expensive and exotic with a mossy earthy dry down. I do smell some Carnation in it which makes this perfume unique, very different and definately sensual.

6th February, 2010.

Notes from fragrantica.com
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Top: aldehydes, bergamot, orange blossom, peach
Mid: heliotrope, jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, orchid, iris, tuberose, ylangylang
Base: amber, benzoin, cedar, civet, musk, sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla

Attractive looking bottle. Impressive set of notes. And of Russian origin to boot. Needless to say I found it intriguing enough to sample it on skin (1 spritz on my forearm, another on inside of elbow).

MAROUSSIA opens with something vaguely familiar, a touch of aldehydes and a fleeting peach-like note. Then it's gone, rather too soon, chased away by a blooming floral bouquet. I could detect hints of rose and jasmine but for the most part, the florals are all pretty muddled up, the blend not as finely executed as say Patou's 1000. Unlike Lauder's Beautiful, it is far from heady but more musky in a sexy-and-dirty kind of way, the warmth from the base amber almost palpable within the heart along with sweetness from vanilla and benzoin. A naive girl this scent is not, nor a lady of class. But a woman of raw passion? Perhaps. That's the impression I got anyway.

I find sillage to be decent enough but longevity could be better, the drydown leaving little trace after 4-5 hours. Yes, there are far better quality ambery florals out there but at the available price, getting acquainted with this Russian beauty has been more than a guilty pleasure for me. Hmm, somehow that doesn't sound quite right, does it?

30th October, 2009.