Truth or Dare Madonna for women

What a surprise! Lovely, elegant, tuberose fragrance.

Hopefully Madonna fans won't come attack me or anything because of what I'm about to say.

So I tried it; I actually got a decent sized sample of this and tried it over the course of 2 days.

The first smell that came to mind was a chemical laden banana laffy taffy. I'm old enough to remember liking those things, so I enjoyed the memory but well....I can't say I want to smell like one.

Eventually I did get tuberose which I absolutely loved, though I found the tuberose to be thin in nature. This wasn't a lush full and in your face tuberose. And its distantly like Fracas. Very.

As a tuberose lover, and I really do love it from green tuberose to lush and buttery, this would not be a scent I would reach for too often.

Head to head comparisons with Bath and Body Works Velvet Tuberose, which is another sweetish scent that contains vanilla in the base, Truth or Dare falls quite flat. There's no roundness to the scent IMO.

For me, its TOO sweet, the vanilla that is used is too foody, for my tastes, contains too little tuberose, and of course, has that odd banana laffy taffy opening.

If my nose were less experienced and I enjoyed super sweet fragrances, I would likely enjoy it more, because in its favour, it has serious lasting power. Sprays from the samples I procured from Macy's left oily perfume spots on my skin. I could smell this stuff 8 hours later. And FWIW, its not super in your face and loud, so could even be worn to work within reason.

But its not me at all. Its not the worst I've smelled but admittedly, I own better. So for me, its really not full bottle worthy.

Well....I do really love the smell! It's a loud tuberose affair which drys down to a sweet 'burned sugar' type of smell. Lovely! I caught a whiff of it the other day on another girl and thought it smelled wonderful, however when I wear it myself I have noticed the last few times I have gotten a headache and i'm starting to wonder if it is in fact the perfume :( oh no, I have a full bottle. It is VERY strong! and I would suggest if you are prone to headaches from floral perfumes not to go near it.

It is just like Madonna! Very strong and loud but also feminine...
It for special women, who likes to be in the centre..
Its too much for me. Gives me headache. :(

OMG! i mean OH! MY! GOD! i've come by this beautiful bottle of Madonna first fragrance & THE ONLY THING I HAVE TO SAY IS... WHO EVER WANT TO SWAP THIS WITH ME... pleeeeeease? do me a Pleasure & contact me .... IWANT THIS ONE!! I have plenty of choice to swap with you check my collection!
i know it's NOT everyone scent but ... FOR SURE IT'S FOR ME :D
XOXO

This is about the fragrance not the woman.(Which is what your fragrance reviews, on a fragrance website should be about)

Taking Madonna out of the picture, Truth or Dare is a floral,tuberose and amber blended masterpiece. The silage and lasting power is impressive. It's definitely for a grown woman and not a little girl. It has an 80's flair to it yet it's blatantly modern. It's pronounced and a hardcore headturner; much like the fragrances that warmed hearts in the 80's. Seductive and lady like. A very well formulated compostion. I'm impressed.

To me it starts off with a very granny flowery BANG, soon turns into a sweet, cinnamon/minty insence humm (flowers are still there!) and turns into a buddhist temple smell that lasts for absolutely AGES! I love it, I think it's very oriental. <3

OMG I wasn't expecting that! I tested this today and it actually made my nose hurt.
Its very very strong and in the style of one the big hitters from the 80s, powerful and, I suspect, headache inducing if worn for long.
I do like and admire Madonna but I hoped for something nicer than this from Her Madgesty.

Sorry, but no thank you.

And the bottle is horrible too, the plastic lid is so cheap and nasty looking. It feels like it would break very easily.

It's a VERY powerful concoction I must say and one have to be at least Madonna herself to wear it. Not the most pleasant though. Brace for impact!

I remember Madonna when she first arrived on the scene in a mass of hair, lace and bangles. I was so curious to smell her fragrance that I actually paid $10 for a tester vial on eBay because it hasn't been released in Australia yet. I know, I'm insane, but I just HAD to try it.

A lot of comments on here have remarked that this smells very similiar to Kim Kardashians's namesake perfume, and they are right. It does, but with a slightly more musk/amber base. It lasts forever, which is remarkable in itself as we are seeing more and more fragrances with less lasting power than room sprays. I do get a slight Fracas vibe, but only because I was looking for it.

Overall I am disappointed. It's already been done before. This fragrance could almost be a Kim flanker. I actually think Madonna could have bucked the trend a bit and started her line with a male floral perfume. Now that would have been something different.

Even though lately she's been a bit of a ridicule, with no reason whatsoever, let's face it mates, she's Madonna. And Truth or Dare is very good. I do admire the bold and a tad dirty top, the heart which cannot decide "to stay dirty or not?" and finally the base going safely gourmand for the current trend because she's after the bling. It's rather expensive to be a Queen.. In music terms, top is Erotica, the heart is Bedtime stories and the base is MDNA..
Well, can't really blame her, can we? When she's been asked while presenting her film WE if she would give up her throne for a man, she replied: " I think I could have both.."
Self consciousness.

The top notes reminded me of Eden by Cacherel, to me it smelt exactly the same. The middle notes settled into a pleasant sharp and woody floral, but this fragrance is by no means sweet and airy. It's quite a heavy fragrance and one which does make a statement but alas it's not good with my body chemistry. I don't do tuberose well but for those who love it then you are going to adore this fragrance.
The bottle is pure class too and I may buy the fragrance for the bottle alone.
Rate: 3.5/5
Longevity: Very long wearing, spray in the morning and it still smells lovely in the evening.
Sillage: Makes a statement when you enter the room.

just like fracas

People who post rude comments on this perfume should get their brains checked! Honestly...! Madonna will always be richer, famous and successful than you! Please be subjective with your reviews!

this has to be the worst perfume i have ever smelled !! it actually smells like a rim block for the toilet..no really !! so disappointed ;(

I have nothing against Madonna. I do like her music, although I think she should definitely stick to it. I can honestly say this is one of the worst fragrances I've smelled in my life. It smells like a heap of tuberose and gardenia drenched in old margarine. It gave me an instant headache; it was so foul, I had to immediately wash it off. If you must purchase, absolutely try (on your skin) before you buy.

Overly intensive tuberose; I find it overpowers the other florals. Although quite linear, the odd waxy synthetic accord that appears midway is nauseating, and creates a sombre rather than sexy impression IMO-
not what I had expected from the ad campaign.

There was some effort made here, that's evident and commendable, however the result is mediocre. I wonder how well this will do actually...

Wearing this right now. Tried it this 7 hours ago. Its softened but still very strong. Strongly reminiscent of Girand's Lysval or Versace's Blonde... definitely a grown up scent.

I dont like the bottle, its awkward and I thoroughly object to religious symbols on cosmetic products. From a distance it looks like a cheap plastic bottle of handcream.

I was very intrigued by this fragrance, not for it's celebrity, but for the tuberose. Its loud, white floral, and buttery, with the accent on butter. Its almost as though you litterally took tuberose, added a synthetic element, and slapped on some salty popcorn butter. After five minutes of smelling this I developed a sharp headache. Not for me at all.

I've only recently started to seek out fragrances & am learning to distinguish ingredients and notes/scents. With the recent purchase of ToD - I do like the bottle - I find that it gives me a headache. I believe it is the neroli, a scent I do not care for on its own, but would expect to be divine when reading a description of it. Not "heady" in a good way.

Usually, tuberose and neroli are two of the worst notes on my skin, so I tried this perfume expecting to hate it.

On my skin I get tuberose which is sweetened up by the amber and musk. This is a scent which has to be on the skin for awhile before all the base notes really mix well with the potent tuberose.

The sillage of this perfume is high and lingering. So, put this on with a light hand. The lasting power of this EDP is amazing. It lasts all day long with only one spray.

This EDP reminds me very much of Versace's Blonde and Guerlain's Mahora, yet it's just a bit different than both of them with the more creamy, ambery base. I can definitely see Madonna's Italian roots when I smell this perfume. I can just picture Venice and Tuscany when I smell this. I think Madonna did a good job on this one. This won't be come my favorite scent but, I can see myself growing very fond of it.

I'm Soo sick and tired of people who review with words like: blah, sick, yuk, puk and whatever their little brain give birth that day! I'm proposing to ban this kind a people from fragrantica.
Anyway: very a nice perfume , close to Michael but less erotic. Lasting power fantastic, very reasonable price. Bye!

it is a lovely perfume,with heady white flowers throughout,tuberose,gardenia,jasmine,and i never understand why people are so contrary to synthetically smelling components. if you want natural,go to the groceries. this is perfume as it should be,present,lasting,in a beautiful unusual bottle,and we never had expected something different from madonna. i love your scent madonna and i always loved and love you. this is definitely a "dare", a kind of giorgio for the 21th century.
aad aka "madonnatella"

Truth or Dare is mediocre at best. It has a plasticky tuberose leading this white floral pack with somewhat watery benzoin/amber combo. It doesn't smell all that natural to me, especially the vanilla. I wish she would create something more unisex because her fans are male too, but I understand her concept for this creation. It's a wise choice, and I love the bottle (looks very sacred and English like Clive Christain or Creed) I can't imagine something "floral fruity" or "pinky princess floral" from her. It's not a bad scent. It's just not as luscious as a white floral frag should be. Hopefully, if there were another Madonna's perfume, it'd be darker and more daring.

i smelled this fragrance at macy's. I like it! It smells very floral mixed with sweet vanilla.

Uninteresting. I forgot I was wearing it. Not a good sign.

Truth or Dare trends more toward "Truth" instead of "Dare." There's nothing daring in the mix, but this is a sincerely-composed, well conceived perfume, something perfect for women of all ages. It opens with a beautiful bouquet of tuberose, gardenia (which isn't overbearing), and heady jasmine. There's a synthetic sweetness highlighting the indolic aspects of the flowers, which wouldn't work if these petals weren't so gorgeously stinky! Sugar gives it balance, but it isn't heavy-handed, and the natural richness of the floral notes are allowed to shine and dominate. Gradually on my male, somewhat oily skin, a pretty benzoin and vanilla accord appears, evolving from the nondescript sweetness in the opening. The benzoin smells very "true" and creates a warm nuttiness in the base. Strong, but playful stuff, very mature, very French in feel. Interesting bottle, too. Good job, Madge.

Oh no. As I approached the perfume display for this fragrance, my heart made a little leap as the gardenia and tuberose smell gave the area a classy, classic smell with a sexy little twist of Jasmin. Optimism! Unfortunately, the moment I squirted it on my skin ALL I smelt was Jasmin, and a very sweet, synthetic Jasmin, which made me think maybe there was something like ylang ylang in there sweetening it up. The overall sweetness became stronger as the Jasmin became calmer, resulting in a smell similar to bubble gum and faint white flowers in the background on my skin. Not a good look. I felt like a streetwalker wearing what she thought was good perfume. (PS, I'm sure sex workers have *great* taste in fragrance in reality. This was just a mental image that came to mind to describe the smell.)

Tuberosetastic! So ok if you like tuberose but way too heavy and headachey for me.

Oh dear, "Truth" is this is nasty "Dare" to wear it if you can......not good, made me feel ill. Sorry Madge, love your music and your amazing body but this "fragrance" stinks!!

A lot has been said about it before it hit the shelves. I was very interested by the concept.

First of all, I find the bottle design tacky and in real life it looks even cheaper than in photos.

Then the scent... Reminds me a lot of Histoires de Parfums Tubereuse Virginale, which is a good start, but not all that wearable. What I got first was a blast of tuberose, neroli and jasmine with some fruity undertones (melon? pineapple? a bit of strawberry). There is gardenia, there is musk, there is vanilla, and it is all awfully and unpleasantly sweet. This is not a controversial fragrance, it is just not mixed very well. I appreciate the effort and I still find her a smart businesswoman and a creative performer, but I find the scent disappointing.

For those who enjoy it, there is a bonus, it lasts and lasts and lasts.

I used to love Madonna. "Confessions" was her last decent album I think.

Big entertainment stars need to sell merchandise it seems to make a few more bucks. I very much dislike this phenomenon for it is so unnecessary and seems desperate.

The only nice thing about this scent is the bottle: simple, old-skool, nostalgic, ecclesial, gothic, stylish and coveted like an old bone china porcellain collector's doll.

The scent is very artificial for it is mainly tuberose and gardenia (the latter has to be artificially compsed for it cannot be naturally harvested).

I can see the concept of this and the original idea. It is just not a nice scent. Cloying and sickly sweet.

Mariah did a far better job with her debut fragrance launch.

Sorry Madonna, but stick to pop songs please.

I tried this one today at Sears, and it is one of those fracas wannabes: too sweet, too flat and cloying, everything fracas does not stoop down to. If you love white florals done with taste, get fracas or carnal flower. Those two are the real diamonds, this one is however a shiny tawdry vulgar big cubic zirconia, kind of like the woman behind the fragrance.

Oh my goodness, I am so glad I did not 'blind buy' this one as it would have been heading straight in the pile of bad buys. I normally love tuberose/gardenia/jasmine scents and white flower scents, in fact they are my favourite...but this one....well when I sprayed it on the paper in the shop and also on my wrist, the gardenia smacked me in the face big time, it was very potent after one squirt and I found the scents of tuberose, jasmine and lilly were all screaming at me and fighting for attention. I couldn't scrub it off fast enough as my head was spinning after 5 minutes of being in it's vicinity.
I really thought I would have loved it but it's a big no no for me.

Now this fragrance has arrived in the Northern corner of Europe. I had a chance to test it today togeher with my 14 year old daughter.

First the positive things: the bottle design is great. It is unique and has the symbolism Madonna seems to like.
The other nice thing is that she was inspired by her late mother's scent.

It was clear for me that this is not my scent, because of the main accords. The same thing with Paris Hilton's Tease, but still I thought it is a great scent, just not for me.
I cannot say the same about Truth or Dare. I dare to tell the truth: this is the worst perfume I've tested in the last years.
"This smells very old-fashioned," said my daughter. I agree but it is not the only thing. Something doesn't match here. The drydown is simply awful.
We had to rinse our wrists fast, also my husband and son complained about the scent.
I like the smell of gardenia but cannot really find it in this. Are there too many components, which do not match?

I must say, I really liked this fragrance when I tried it on today. It has lasted all day and is a beautiful floral. I usually can't stand Tuberose in perfumes, but in this one, it was a light enough that it didn't bother me. I am not crazy about a lot of celebrity perfumes, but this perfume will indeed be my next for summer. Kudos to you Madonna.

I smelled it and it was just what I thought it would be. It is a heavy mature scent. The sweetness wasn't something I'd expect!

This scent is not the one I'd wear.

Having tested Fracas, OK, I can see the resemblance. This one is however, an empty ghost of Fracas, diluted down, and 10 notes taken out of the mix. Madonna known for her music and business savvi, surely can see the appeal of this one. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate it, it just feels like an imposter.

The tuberose is mid-range, leaning heavily to the watery, but rather flat and uninspiring. This is an unobtrusive wallflower good girl, towing the line. Dissapointingly, there's not much of the Madonna rebel or twists in this one.

A bit dull, linear for an hour, then the mix turns plasticky and waxy, and creates the feeling that my arm has transformed into a disassociated doll's arm, not part of me anymore.

Not bad for the money, with steady longevity about 6 hours and medium projection, that's dissolves steadily. But can't stop focussing on the plastic note, reinforced by the milky bottle, and it's pearly jointed edges, reminiscent of moulded lines on cheap doll's plastic joints. The bottle's religious references are the only homage to Madonna's heritage. The bottle feels horrible in the hand, like cold marble, perhaps that's supposed to be part of the sensory experience. Sorry, Madge, this water is not holy. Will it sell...of course...Affordable-ish Fracas wannabee, with a cult bottle design.

When I first sprayed I thought..YESS!! Another Tuberose perfume. Being that tuberose is my favourite note in a perfume I had high hopes. It smelled similar to my beloved Michael Kors "Michael". Neroli is another favourite note of mine so all was going well..

This did not last long.

When the drydown started, a strange sweet almost plasticy note started developing which was the benzoin..the notes started to clash and made me slightly giddy. Something in here isn't meshing with the rest of what would have been a winner! I'm always looking to add to my Tuberose collection.

I give Madonna kudos for actually having a hand in what went into her perfume which is more that alot of celebrities do but for me..it started well and ended badly. This is the first tuberose/white floral perfume I have disliked....EVER!

TRUTH is I also find the bottle hideous! Would I DARE to wear it? NO!

Sorry Madge...maybe I'll like the next one!

Truth or Dare: Fragrance Review

Throughout Madonna’s 30+ year career, much has been accomplished. It is very likely that no other female artist will ever reach her level of success. With the undisputed title of being the ‘Queen of Pop’, she has often faced a lot of criticism, hatred, and immeasurable expectations from the masses. With each project she takes on, she aims to exceed all expectations. Granted, she is not perfect (no one is), but she is one of the hardest working women I’ve ever known to exist. She goes out and gets whatever she wants, and that I admire. In 1984 (while I was on Earth for only a year) when Dick Clark of American Bandstand asked her about her hopes and dreams for her career she said she wanted to rule the world, which she has done more than once.

Despite all of her achievements and ventures, there is one thing that has eluded her, and that is the world of fragrance. This arena is near and dear to her heart because this is one of the few memories she has of her mother as she passed when Madonna was very young. She has often stated that she remembers how her mother wore a scent that consisted of tuberose and gardenia, two white floral notes that leave a lasting impression on the senses.

Throughout her life she has reportedly worn various perfumes to remind her of her mother, have a piece of her with her always. Fragrances like Robert Piguet’s Fracas, Tubereuse of L’Artisan Parfumeur or even Tubereuse Indiana by Creed have all been a part of her adult life. Though they may remind her of what her mother once wore, they are not personal as the fragrance is not her own and certainly not her mother’s scent. Fragrance is special in that it can be a lot of different things, with memories being one in particular.

Madonna could have made a fragrance a long time ago. During the Blonde Ambition era or fast forward to the Ray of Light era, Madonna had the world in the palm of her hand. These (and many other times) were great periods for her to release a perfume. A lot of celebrities release fragrances that are devoid of substance. Rather than following the common path of many, Madonna chose to be patient and wait for the perfect time to create a fragrance of her own. As with anything she does, she had a hand in everything involving the creation of Truth or Dare, which was released in April 2012.

Being that I am the epitome of a Cancer, I am obsessed with fragrance, so I have a substantial collection. Once I discovered that Madonna’s fragrance was out, I began to read an assortment of reviews. As expected, a lot of reviews were about one’s personal feelings about Madonna the celebrity and not the fragrance; fascinating isn’t it? Though I am one of Madonna’s biggest fans, I wanted to be completely unbiased. I did not let my love and adoration for her influence my opinion. So now, on to my first experience with Truth or Dare, a perfume for women or men not bound by societal norms.

I decided to pick up a sample because I never buy a fragrance blindly. I feel that fragrance must be worn on your skin and settle for some time before you can truly invest in it as you may not like and thus have buyer’s remorse. Initially I sprayed my left wrist, requested a sample and headed home. While in my car, the fragrance enveloped me; it was as if I had sprayed much more than one part of my body. The fragrance comes off as being very feminine, intoxicating and smart.

It was immediately evident to me that the top notes had to be white flowers: you can pick up tuberose, a hint of neroli and gardenia. I personally love gardenia (Chantecaille’s Pétales is a personal favorite of mine), so this was a pleasure to pick up in this scent. At the same time I felt a blast of jasmine hit me in the proboscis. This is said to be a middle note, but it is very intense at the beginning. Though it is rather bold upon your first whiff, the other white flowers blend well to make it enjoyable. I have never been a huge fan of jasmine (which is why I cannot wear Tom Ford’s Jasmine Rouge), so this was very important to me. With the combination of these particular notes, I was immediately reminded of Thierry Mugler’s masterpiece Alien; you can think of Truth or Dare as similar but much more soft when it comes to the jasmine. They are still very different fragrances so you can rest any possible worries you may have.

As a few hours went by, the jasmine was still with me, feeling almost as if someone was spritzing it in the air amongst the other notes; it was so beautiful. You can also pick up benzoin and I wasn’t able to pick up the lily that is reported to be a part of the heart notes. What I found very interesting was as the jasmine started to get more intense on my skin, I smelled leather. I kept putting my wrist to my nose because I love the smell of leather (so naturally I like John Varvatos or even Dzing! By L’Artisan Parfumeur). A group of white flowers and benzoin lead me to smell leather; brilliant. Once I hit the five hour mark, the fragrance took me for another ride.

At this point, the volume was turned up; all the way up. Truth or Dare was leaning more towards dare; it was so sexy I would have done anything at that moment. With the smell of leather on me, I began to pick up an animalic hint of musk. I also picked up vanilla and caramel, two gorgeous gourmands. I discovered the amber is caramelized amber, which made it even better. I cannot truly put into words how hot it smelled so deep into having it on me. The caramelized amber made me want to take a bite out of my wrist and deal with the consequences later. No dare was required for it was my truth.

After approximately eight or nine hours, the jasmine calms, the other white flowers disappear, a smidge of benzoin is there and we are left with the base notes that linger; they come in waves of sorts. I continued to smell vanilla, amber and musk well into 14 hours of wearing this fragrance. It was like dessert; saving the best for last. I should also note that I actually took a shower and still could smell it on my wrist afterwards; I was very impressed.

Overall, I am very pleased with this fragrance
and do plan to buy it in the largest size offered. I am not one to purchase ancillaries so the fragrance itself will suffice. This fragrance has depth and dimension. It is very clear that Madonna put a lot into forming this fragrance. It is not a cliché celebrity fragrance that reeks of sugary sweet notes or poorly blended florals. I would also like to add that I did not smell Fracas in this fragrance; some notes perhaps but no, this is not Fracas; they are very different. This fragrance is more of a fall/winter scent in my mind, but due to its sex appeal, it could be worn any time you want to be romantic or simply have someone devour you. Kudos Madge. I highly recommend you give this one a try.

-sP

First impression: Jasmine, vanilla, tuberose, gardenia. The gardenia is simply huge. Benzoin is definitely lurking beyond with musc.

Sweet and distinct. Although this fragrance isn't for me, I'm not surprised if it will sell well!

I love this fragrance, it smells and floral but not overwhelming. Can definitely be worn during the day or at night time.Ever since going to Hawaii, I have been obsessed with the scent of tuberoses that they use in their leis for fragrance between the orchids. Well, one sniff of this and it took me right back! I was hooked! I will also have to try Kim Kardasian as so many here have mentioned it smells similar. Thanks!

As a huge Madonna fan I remember the days of 'Holy Water', the fragrance she was allegedly working on in 1993. So I've been looking forward to her first foray into the world of perfume for nearly 20 years. In fact, Truth or Dare has the kind of bottle I'd imagined Holy Water would appear in - it looks like a Holy Water flacon. (And just for the record the bottle is not plastic but milk-glass.). As a male perfume connoisseur (I wear both female and male scents) I was obviously excited to get my bottle which I bought blind. Truth or Dare is not a youth perfume. It has no sugary, cloying, cotton-candy notes which drag down most celebrity perfumes but is instead a straightforward floral with an amber and musk base. And it's lovely. It goes on strong. I was worried that a spritz to each side of the neck and another on the wrist would be far too much for daytime but shouldn't have worried. Whilst it remains potent, it settles down with lily and musk coming forefront to give you a lovely, creamy sillage. And, yes, men can get away with it. I've had two men ask me what I'm wearing and where they can get some. And almost every woman I know who has smelt it has expressed enthusiasm. Truth or Dare has also, so far, gone down very well on a night-out where I obviously applied a bit more. As I warmed up so did the fragrance, those gorgeous tuberose and gardenia notes rising from under my shirt until the wee hours of the morning. For a mid-range scent, it doesn't smell cheap and as Madonna would never put anything out there she isn't prepared to wear herself, this shouldn't come as a huge surprise. Truth - nothing earth-shattering; a simple, straightforward scent that smells good and lasts. Dare - Whilst simple and straightforward, it doesn't smell quite like anything else out there. I feel very comfortable wearing Truth or Dare and that's when you know a fragrance is working. When you catch it throughout the day and think, 'mmmmm.' Highly recommended. But don't overdo it during the day.

This is a good, soft tuberose fragrance with the additional, thinner accord of caramel. The problem is that these two parts of the fragrance don't actually blend together at all to create an overall scent out of which you can recognise its parts in passing; rather, you get either the tuberose or the caramel: it is either Truth or Dare, but never both together at the same time. As such, it is hard to see this scent being a success beyond what publicity it gets through being Madonna's, simply because it does not have a distinct enough identity, which is quite ironic when you think about it. I get the impression that the perfumer, whilst able to compose a perfume well enough, is not much capable beyond that, and that Madonna simply responded with comments as to what she liked and didn't. So what they have ended up with is an o.k perfume, which hasn't been informed by a great compositional intelligence. Kudos to Madonna for creating a celebrity perfume that doesn't reek of minimal effort and cost, for maximum return. The bottle might have been ok but the materials used to make it are cheap looking, and below the standard of the actual scent. It would have looked better in black, because packaging materials often look cheaper in white.

Outofocus, I believe the reason why so many of us feel compelled to give a thorough description of a celebrity scent is because those of us who are very interested in the world of perfume - in everything from the perfumers involved, to the inspiration behind the scent, to the quality of the ingredients used, to the finished product itself - are intrigued by the entire process by which a fragrance comes into production. Celebrity scents are often simply endorsed by the celebrity - who may or may not have had anything to do with the production process - so it's interesting when one does play an active role in designing the juice, as Madonna reportedly has. It's similar to when an actor releases an album or a musician attempts to act, the world watches in anticipation to see if the celebrity is talented in more than one field. In the world of luxury fragrance, celebrity scents are not highly regarded, so when one is released that is of notable quality, the fragrance community is often surprised.

I don't think any of us here, unless we are actual perfumers, claim to be experts giving expert opinions, as most of us here have a healthy respect for the talented perfumers who feed our fragrance habits and wouldn't dream of calling ourselves experts by comparison. I, for one, come to Fragrantica to get the opinions of fellow fragrance lovers who may or may not have a lot of experience with fragrance, but who love to experiment and educate themselves about the art. Sometimes even the simplest two-line review from one who knows very little about scent can offer valuable insight into a juice I may be contemplating spending money on.

I do agree with what you said: "it's just another fragrance...if you like it, just enjoy it." I think that's the case with all perfumes - one should wear them because one simply enjoys them without pretension. The analyzation process is just part of the fun for many of us here in the community. We value each others' opinions, associations and interpretations of fragrance - even when we disagree with them. We offer our opinions because they may be helpful to others and because we simply enjoy talking about scent.

I wonder why all these long and complicated comments on this frag!
Why so many people have to give an expert's opinion on this celebrity endorsed perfume??

It's the miracle of mass media, a huge pop star, an icon of its generation lauches a fragance to increase even more her fat bank account and bloggers react with a sense of: well I have to give a rational expert opinion on why I am drawn to buy it!

Don't worry too much, don't try to analyse it, it's just another fragance... if you like it, just enjoy it.

Now, when I first had the bottle in my hand I couldn't help noticing that it looks a lot like a holy-water flacon, the kind you can take with you. The gold crucifix logo entwined with the "M" strengthens that impression even more. Given that it's Madonna who (no doubt!) had her hands in every pie whilst this perfume was made. I can appreciate this 'clue' to her name and her signature rosary beats worn as necklaces in the early 80s. Very clever marketing. So far, so Madonna.

When I sprayed this on I was in a perfumery shop and they had so many scents floating around that your nose becomes desensitized from just being in there. But...this scent won't be ignored! I smelled it over everything, and how!! If there ever was an 'ode' to gardenia, jasmine and tuberose, this must be right up there with the best! It's an amazing scent and a hate or love perfume. I had to let it sink in and unfold. But I can already tell that these notes take turns and sometimes even seem to "fight" for center stage. Definitely an evening or special occasion scent.

It's been now about 4+ hours that I first sprayed this on and I must say. I think I have to add this one to my collection.
Here is why: I don't have anything quite like this in my collection. I find that this cauldron of white florals is seductive and very VERY recognizable without that it smothers you (if sprayed with caution!) And its scent evolvement makes for a very unusual harmony of notes on my skin. Compared to what a lot of other celebrities are charging for their so-so scents, Truth or Dare is not that expensive, yet smells expensive. But most importantly, I like it! And, no I am not a 'fan'...does that even matter? A perfume is a perfume and should be judged with your nose and skin.

A definite must sample before purchase. And if you're a floral fan this must be on your 'must sniff' list. Even if you don't care for Madonna.

I only tested this on paper but my jaw dropped when I smelled it. On paper it smells exactly like Tom Ford Black Orchid does without the spice. Smelling them both again now 14 hours later they're identical! I'll edit this when I test it on skin.

Before acknowledging the celebrity endorsement of the juice, I'll give an uninfluenced impression of the scent itself, which is, I have to admit, daring.

Upon first sniff, I was surprised by a sweet, powdery and simultaneously syrupy bubblegum impression, which kept the shock of a very bold jasmine from overwhelming my nose. Here is a white floral in all its glory, unabashed and untamed - not a warm, abstract white floral like the tuberose in Michael Kors; and despite the comparisons, not an overwhelming, in-your-face concoction comparable to Fracas. Okay, yes, there are some similarities, but can we agree that Fracas is only so great because it wonderfully recreates the actual smell of a real tuberose? I don't get as much tuberose from Truth or Dare as I do jasmine, but the note is nonetheless detectable, and I think, comparable to Fracas because it is well-composed and smells genuine. For someone who appreciates Fracas and admires it on others, but finds it too overwhelming and dated on herself, I can say that Truth or Dare is a slightly sweeter take on a white floral that I'd not be ashamed to choose over Fracas, as I find it more easily wearable.

As the scent wears, it retains the light, powdery sweetness, though the candy-bubblegum aspect gives way to more of the white flowers, which project very well. It lasted a good six hours on my skin before fading to a musky skinscent, which was as much soapy as it was sweet. It's almost as though the perfumer layered a very rich, clean, white floral over a base of powdered vanilla and lily, but found the perfect mixture of each note so that the whole thing comes together quite nicely and isn't easily dissected for the sum of its parts.

A white floral that is poorly put-together can easily take on a "hairspray" persona, and Truth or Dare straddles the line of excess and class, just as the endorser herself, without ever really crossing the line into either. Truth or Dare is pretty, fun, and, as I mentioned daring. It's not every day that one picks up a new brew at the perfume counter in Macy's to discover a loud white floral that is saved from being flippant by the coy and innocent sweetness that makes the juice unique. If I had to choose a celebrity scent (and I've only owned one - SJP Lovely), one could certainly do worse than Madonna. Love her or hate her - she's made a household name for herself and she's one of those celebrities who has, despite provocative pornographic displays, managed to maintain an air of mystery about herself and her life. Admire her courage or hate her for her incessant determination, but who among us has not sung along to at least one of her multiple hits throughout the decades?

If any of you have tried Lust by Lush, you may find yourself comparing the two scents, as I did. Overall, an unbiased sniff is recommended. A lot of work reportedly went into this fragrance (around 200 rejected compositions until Madonna was satisfied). I prefer my white florals in the form of tiare with coconut, but if I were seeking something less tropical, I'd consider a full bottle of this.

Normally, I make an effort to ignore when a celebrity is endorsing a scent and I feel I'm doing their brand a favor by being impartial about it. But can I just say, now that Madonna has a fragrance, the World feels a little more whole? She's a polarizing figure but a constant one and the woman really understands glamour; the fine line between refined, establishment elegance and trashy, garish kitsch. That's what fuels the dream spinning industries -- an underlying conflict between pure, salt-of-the-earth beauty and fun sex.

The scent: That raspy, tuberose oil, "Blu" by Bruno Acampora, with it's astringent, jammy undertones, contrasted by a creamy-sweet gardenia mixed with lactic jasmine (similar to the jasmine found in Yves Roche's "Tendre Jasmine"). The indoles are actually pretty low-key, but floral in a distinct, retro way that says: I am not a vague, polite wash that could be mistaken for tea water, I'm a Perfume On Purpose, hear me roar. A very subtle, ambery church-pew-wood-with-incense scent and a hint of rosiness in the drydown and I'm reminded of the subtle, plastic-rose undertones of "Exclamation", another Coty scent I recently reviewed.

There's nothing I can say about the Madonna factor, that "Fruit Diet" didn't already say so well, but it's interesting how pre-cognescent Madonna is about coming trends; she sees that rave style and early 90's trends are making a comeback and that consumers are apt to be moving back to loud fragrances, with character and "Truth or Dare" arrives just in time to satisfy demand.

I've only tested this, but don't be surprised to see it floating next to my avatar within the next, couple of weeks. Personally, I'm sick of inoffensive, crisp beauty. Even if I'll wear this lightly in buttoned-up places, I want to rustle-up the glum status-quo. I want drama. I want to offend and bother people, have them notice my fragrance. I want to walk by and have people think "what the f&*% was that?" or "fun sex". This blend will do it.

I was very tempted to buy this fragrance yesterday while browsing at Macys. I tested it on paper and also on my skin. Woke up this morning, and smelled my wrist. This fragrance lasted a long time. Not to mention, it still lingers on the paper I sprayed a week ago. Love the dry down. Most definitely will add this to my perfume collection.

I DARE to have bought it blind. So now the TRUTH. Its lovely soft gardenia [not loud but soft] with amber [the 2 prominent notes], its sweet but not gourmand sweet. In small amount comes the jasmine shining trough. I like it. Its not bad at all. It reminds me of Roberto Cavalli for her but much softer and better. In 2 hours it becomes more skinscent. My husband asked how he was but he didnt notice that i was wearing it. Give it a chance.

.....SHE MADE PERFUME SHE LIKES........SHE MADE PERFUME BASING ON HER MEMORIES.....THATS WHY ITS SIMILAR TO FRACCAS.......BUT STILL HAS HER OWN INDETITY.....
SOFTER THAN FRACCA ....U CAN CLEARLY FEEL CARMEL NOTES .....AND VANILA UNDERTONES.....
GOOD SCENT GREAT NOSE MADE IT ELEGANT BOTTLE.....SPECIALY FOR THIS PRICE.......
U DONT HAVE TO LOVE THIS SCENT BUT PLEASE BEING OBJECTIVE .....IT VERY WELL MADE FRAGRANCE

I wanted to like it but it is not for me. Gardenia too much I had to wash it off.

Madonna Truth or Dare


This fragrance makes me feel beautiful, feminine, sophisticated, so much so, that out of the hundred something fragrances in my collection, this is the only one I have ever carried in my handbag. I personally do not like white flower perfume, but this is different it is completely and precisely done right and due to the quality of the product, it is obvious no detail was spared. So to the Material Girl I’d like to say; Thank you for bringing this masterpiece to the masses, It is exquisite quality that wont break the bank and the consideration to the consumer is appreciated.


In truth I am fed up with designers and celebrities who have no shame in putting their names in a bottle of rubbish and selling it at outrageous prices... it truly is deceptive and questions their artistic talent and credibility. All mighty dollar I guess.

In my opinion this is the one celebrity fragrance that does not laugh in the face of the consumer, not a mass market cookie cuter vanilla junk, that fades before you get to the front door; and unfortunately so many have falling victims to, including myself at a younger age.

Like I said in my previous post, don't care for celebrities; but everything this woman touches truly turns to gold... and without question there is more Truth here than Dare..
Hooray..Well Done.. Brilliant

Would not recommend to anybody looking for a classy fragrance. The cocktail of sweet-fruity top notes is neither subtle nor elegant. It is one of those scents that can turn badly with the wrong chemistry. Tacky, cheap concoction. Wear at your own risk. ;-)

I tested this one without having read anything about it. Sprayed on a card it gave me an immediate pleasant sensation of being familiar, which I'm sure is the Fracas reference. As it warmed up on my skin I got the most wonderful surprise - with my chemistry it becomes simply a very sweet, sunny-yet-indolic jasmine over dusty, mellow benzoin and vanilla. The sweetness is pronounced and radiant, yet it doesn't shriek. The total effect is very soft and without the tart/sharp notes that have kept me away from literally every modern floral/floriental (why must they all have such prominent sour fruit notes?) Smelling the card I sprayed a couple of days ago, I get gardenia and maybe pear, so I can see where the Elizabeth Taylor Gardenia and Amarige comparisons are coming from, yet as worn, it didn't resemble either of those on me. I suspect there must be a lot of action going on in the basenotes for it to have developed as well as it did on my skin - most of my regular scents are very base-heavy with predominantly amber/resinous and gourmand notes, and anything without enough of that weight falls apart within minutes on me. Truth or Dare hangs in there and develops beautifully into a calm, warm, and quiet drydown that hints at gourmand yet isn't thick/sticky. I found it relatively easy to wear, and this is not something I ever say about big white florals of any era, so I DO think there's something special and new/old about its construction. For the record, I am 47, so of about the same "perfume generation" as Madonna herself. Age probably does matter some when it comes to what we think smells right, scent being about memory and all.

OK...this one was on promo on the mall. I wanted to smell it since I read about it here. The marketing is superb..all the music videos from the early days to the last ones. Got my sample and yikes...it's all about gardenias on my skin; such a simple frag for $56 (1.7oz)? I love Madonna but this one smells like Gardenias by Elizabeth Arden. Although this one has been discontinued, I can still get it for $17-$20(the big bottle). And the smell and bottle is way better.

I just tested this and it is a strong tuberose and gardenia scent. It dries down to a bit of a sweeter floral, I have to say there is skank affect to this fragrance but skank can sometimes be a good thing! I find it is a little like fracas but fracas is more elegant and fruity, while truth or dare is more modern and a tad chemical smelling. It is well done and to be honest its not my style of a fragrance but it is well done for the price! I personally wouldn't wear it though. If I have to choose a tuberose fragrance I prefer Michael kors or Fracas. Thats just me. As for the bottle , it is a weird octagon shape and its kinda strange looking. I think this fragrance has good lasting power , I have to admit I am a madonna fan, but I prefer her music over her fragrance.

I was in Selfridges yesterday to smell this perfume, and my first impression was: floral tuberose, gardenia and jasmine all the way. Oh yes ladies... It reminded me a lot of Amariage by Givenchy, but luckily not as fruity or cold as Amarige. Truth or dare is a much warmer scent than Amariage in my opinion. I would desrcibe this perfume as Oriental Floral and Musky!

I found it quite warm and wearable on my skin thanks to the caramelised amber, vanilla absolute and musk undertone, but I do understand why some people might be put off by the intense smell of the floral top notes! It is intense indeed, and for the long haul! I, however, love the vanilla in the middle notes! It blends very well as the scent goes to the even warmer base notes. What I like most of all is that I don't find the smell to be synthetic at all unlike most other celeb fragrances out there (without mentioning names!)

Well, Truth or Dare...?

Truth: I like it enough from its very first impression on me, but I can't say I love it YET. It is definitely for a more mature and classy audience who love their Fracas and Shalimar etc. However, I do love the bottle! It's very Catholic chic! Fabian Baron did a fantastic job once again!

Dare: Today is my second day of wearing it in a wet damp English weather and I must say I felt embraced and warmed by the smell at the same time. No bad for a celebrity fragrance, and this is my first ever celeb scent I have ever owned. I bought the 30ml for £25 in here.

Thanks, Madonna!!! Not a bad effort for your debut perfume!

Ps. This scent was made by the same company who made Tom Ford's Black Orchid!

Update: I absolutely adore this perfume now. I've been wearing it almost everyday and for the price this is excellent! Thanks Madonna!

I have always liked Madonna for her attitude and style, and her music isn't bad either. I think I just really don't like gardenias anymore.. or tuberose, whatever that is. I think all my gardenia scented perfumes are going in a box, in my closet. At first whiff, I was SO going to buy a full bottle. Ten minutes later, I got a very faint bitter undertone. I don't know if it's my chemistry or the gardenias. If you're even a little bit curious about this, stop being cheap and get on Ebay and buy yourself a sample. It's pretty good, for what it's trying to be. I think it's just not my thing.

Truth or Dare pays homage to Madonna's mother, and is an obvious reference to the heavy hitting tuberose-laden Fracas by Robert Piguet, the fragrance her mother wore. It incorporates another favourite scent- gardenia. Madonna wanted to recreate the memory of how her mother smelled to her, and with the help of perfumer Stephen Nilsen, she's done a good job of translating this olfactive memory into a modern day fragrance. It plays up the religious influence of her name and Catholic upbringing, with a bottle designed to resemble a flacon of Holy Water and the resinous aspects of church incense.

Truth
Like an opening night performance, she starts off with a blast- in this case tuberose and white florals that are bold and emblazoned, but not suffocating. The tuberose misses the mark to create the well rounded buttery quality that replicates Fracas, feeling somewhat thin and engineered. While 'thin' usually signals 'cheap', like almost anything Madonna touches, it has managed to translate into shiny and new. Much like taking scraps of raggy lace and rubber typewriter bands and turning them into fashion statements and tools of empowerment. You don't feel cheated, but you're aware that we are indeed living in a material world and money inevitably has the last say when it comes to accessibility. Madonna even admitted this is what kept her from arriving earlier in the fragrance realm, emphasizing that there were issues around creating something that was quality enough to bear her name, yet affordable in the mass market that she could stand behind.
The gardenia appears green and waxy, spread a bit too thin to be lush- but there's so much going on, that you're still entertained. Like the entertainer, she may be a bit thin on vocal ability, but she sure knows how to put on a hell of a show and make it work. Orange Blossom lends its fullness, and spicy lily nips at your nose unexpectedly, imparting a kick of peppery heat to keep the florals from becoming too heady. It reins in the tuberose and tries to tame the indolic jasmine that seems to take center stage- much like the 10yr old Madonna wearing a swimsuit and neon paint, go-go dancing at a school recital under a black light. Parents were horrified, and anyone who doesn't know what real jasmine is will be too. Indolic jasmine can smell like mothballs and in this fragrance, it acts as a conductor, sending vapours out in exhausted, forceful pants like the last vocals of Love Don't Live Here Anymore. This is where the fragrance seems to linger most, in a stage of suspended animation while the crowd screams for more, then hushes in anticipation of the spoken message.

Dare
Without darkness there can be no light, and Truth or Dare creates a tangible example.
Resinous amber and benzoin lurk beneath the florals, giving it a dusty, (easily interpreted as powdery) vintage and austere feel to it. If you let your imagination go, you can almost feel the heavy, hard uncomfortable pews in church, designed to keep you upright and reminded that Christ endured and so must you. Yet, like a well-delivered sermon, its heavy and weightless all at once, sunken and concealed beneath the florals giving a dimension of depth, yet buoyant to keep them uplifted towards the light. The two opposites of light and dark, fluid and unmoving, create an intriguing duality that validates the seemingly corny name, rendering it wholly apt.

Synthetic skin musks and vanilla absolute buffer the zone between the two, never becoming individually obvious, instead interacting as necessary shepherds throughout the transitioning of the two extremes.

As the fragrance dries down, the benzoin and amber become more prominent and linger like the last wisps of smoke from a censer, somewhat textured and scratchy.
Sillage and longevity are reasonable. Despite being loud at first unleashing, it smooths out within minutes and unless you douse yourself in it, it should be easy enough to wear without offending.

Truth or Dare is a well crafted fragrance that isn't dumbed down for the masses. In fact, many of the masses can be heard with their protests of "old lady smell" which translates into "mature". It has the facets of a classic with a fresh and modern interpretation that should enjoy a long shelf life, providing an alternative to the sugar laden nose candy offered up by other celebs. Madonna can take a bow for a job well done, she has managed to convey the sentiment for which she strove and balanced it perfectly with her strong, persuasive, brashy-to-classy style.

Okay, I went to buy and did not. I was being super opened despite the very mixed views. Well, the initial first hour was hard. Tuberose to the max. I could not escape it. There was a heavy, heavy, sweet, gummy, plastic, shot of it. After one hour on me it did not diminish or develop. I was waiting for some jasmine or gardenia or lilly to come to my rescue, but assertive tuberose would not permit them through. 2 hours later it mellowed but tuberose remained the lead actor in a one man show rather than a theater group it should have been. The critics have said both good and bad on this one. It was unfortunate that, on me, it remained utterly linear and without depth. I was actually sad about it because I thought it would at least be added to my collection. No chance of that now.

I Agree Completely on some of the other reviews below. This "new fragrance" is a real Stinker!
The Truth: It's White Shoulders doppelgänger. The Dare is to wear it! Did NOT like it at all! If you are wanting this fragrance to add to your collection because of the Name on the bottle, take my advice and wait till it goes to TJ Maxx or Marshalls and buy it for $10-$15 or if you are for the challenge...just buy a great big bottle of White Shoulders at CVS.

I've never been a big fan of celebu-scents. I don't keep up with their lives, careers, or dramas and I certainly don't salivate or run screaming to the perfume counter at opening on the day a new fragrance is released. As for Madonna, I purchased 3 of her CD's back in high school and always thought of her as a savvy business woman who knew how to market herself well. When it comes to the crazy world of celebrity scents, I was somewhat surprised that she HADN'T released one. The first I heard of it about a year ago that she was working on one, I was intrigued. Always a free spirit and a woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it, I was expecting something in the same vein as "Lovely" or "Queen," something that would be unique and didn't follow the same tired, exhausted notes of, "berries, more berries, 2 fruits, 1 flower, vanilla, musk, rinse and repeat." I believe Madge has delivered that. It's certainly not like any other celebu-scent out there and it is one-of-a-kind in the celebrity category.

Please note: I have not said that it is something I ENJOY.

Believe, me, I wanted to like this, in fact, I wanted to love it, but I would have settled for like.

It is indeed an unusual white floral when first sprayed and the amber is there as well. On first spray it began medium bodied and within 5 minutes of the alcohol drying it exploded into a big sweet, just-next-door-to-CLOYING, wad of Gardenia and Tuberose being crammed up my nostrils with a chimney brush: I was in giant white floral heaven! Then, within 20 minutes the explosion settled down into a dry, dusty, scent that reminded me of powdery amber. Admittedly, amber is not my favorite of notes but I can deal with it when well composed but somehow the "powdery" edge that it had turned the whole thing into a scrubber for me.

Several have described it as "old lady" another (brilliantly I believe) described it as a "busted White Shoulders," which is sadly accurate to my nose. The best thing I can think of to describe it would be the scent of the lingering sillage in a small room that had just been vacated by two septuagenarians, one doused heavily in Elizabeth Taylor's "Gardenia," and the other in 10 hour old Clinique "Aromatics Elixir." I have always been a fan of big, gaudy, slap-you-across-the-face white florals and it absolutely KILLS me to have to state that if I had to choose between this and another well known big white floral, Kim Kardashian, I would have to *gag* choose the K.K.
*facepalm*

As I stated previously, it is certainly one of a kind, and I do applaud Madge for an honest endeavor to make what she wanted and envisioned as her own "perfect scent." I am also pleased that she wanted something that was specifically targeted at the 35-45 age range, a demographic that is practically ignored in mass market fragrance, I just wish that the marketing team had put together more than one or two focus groups of women in that age range before putting it into full production.

I sprayed this fragrance the other day at the mall from a tester bottle...I have to say it smells alot like a busted White shoulders,old flower powder,bug spray with a strong musk...it had no flare... it just laid flat with no mystery...I didn't like the plain apperance of the bottle and it didn't inspire me.I don't recommend this to anyone who is looking for something fresh and new because this smell is dated and has been done.Save your money..YUCK!!!!!

AT first I thought what a big floral scent it was! lots of white flowers, but give it some time, and the scent goes smoother, warmer. Not necessarily gourmand,on me the amber and vanilla never develop fully, but smoother and sheer. I find interesting, with a retro vibe, Madonna created a scent that has some classic qualities, so I understand the comparison with Fracas, but Truth or Dare is not Fracas. it is a woman's scent, not for the youth.A real floral scent that grows on you.My husband calls it intriguing, it does have a certain aura about it.The nose behind it hasnt created anything grounbreaking,so Truth or dare isnt breathtaking. It catches you in a certain way. In the end though it is a tuberose scent,so only lovers of tuberose will truly enjoy it.

This is a really full-bodied, gorgeous fragrance. Madonna is an old-school, classical style star and so is her perfume. This is no air-headed berry bomb like other pop stars release. This is grown up and sophisticated. I'm a 29 year old man who is a Madonna fan and a perfume fan. I own female and male fragrances and snatched this up at Macy's days after its release. I've worn this out many times both on dates and social events and have gotten MANY compliments on it, both from friends and complete strangers!

The fragrance itself is a heady blend of gardenia and tuberose. The latter being slightly more prominent. There is nothing "dusty" or "old" about this fragrance as some ignorant fools (ignore anyone who calls something "old"!) would have you believe.

Express yourself with this great perfume. Brava Ciccone. Bout time you had a perfume out.

NB: The ad for this perfume, the double image of Madonna, is absolutely gorgeous, and the 30 second commercial spot with Madonna in that corset and blindfold is astounding.

This fragrance smells so old & dusty! It was like smelling a dried out bottle of white shoulders.It also gave me a headache!Lastly,the bottle looked cheap, boring & played out.

She came out with a great record that is MDNA but this fragrance is a vile copy of Fracas...loads and loads of gardenia and tuberose with hints of vanilla not bad but for an artist like her this so long awaited perfume is boring very boring.



60/100

Very pleasant from start to finish! It has a wonderful progression that lasts hours and hours! Classic floral in vibe, nouveau in overall character. Perfect. Well done!

This smells like a 1972 French socialite complete with her printed silk blouse, greasy wine-colored lips, pewter-shadowed lids and dark roots and u know wut!? I abdolutely love it lmbao!!! Powdery gardenia and creamy tuberose run this mutha giving off that old-world vibe while jasmin adds spice. Vanilla absolute and amber keep it from smelling identical to other white floral fragrances like Kim Kardashian, Creed Love in White, Tease, Michael Kors etc... While there r similarities I think Truth or Dare stands on its own because it is a white floral indeed but it also has gourmand as well as oriental properties as mentioned in a previous review... Also mentioned in a previous review it is easily unisex because it isnt overly sweet... Its long-lasting and has a beautiful ambery drydown tingled with tuberose...

Well then.

As a nineteen year-old, boyish-looking male with a passion for perfume, my sexuality gets asked about a lot. While I am straight, people are quick to assume "gay" because I like fragrances, and that I'm also a big fan of Madonna. Shallow assumptions aside, Madge and I go way back - some of my earliest childhood memories involve my mom playing the Bedtime Stories and Ray of Light albums for me. I think Madonna is one of the greatest musical artists ever, and I think I'll always love anything she puts out. That being said, I've always secretly wished for a fragrance from her, and knew it would come out someday. To think, when the two "effeminate" aspects of my personality - Madonna and perfume - reach a crossroads, God only knows what could be achieved. And, I was a little wary, considering how it's Coty, and I think something great could have been made if the right raw materials were utilized.

Well, it is something great. On my skin, Truth or Dare is primarily a jasmine fragrance, with tuberose and gardenia to support it. While the gardenia is unfortunately short-lived, as expected, the jasmine and tuberose combine to create so many different facets from just two flowers alone. The jasmine is slightly chalky and a little indolic, to show a hint of raunchiness. The tuberose is delectable and creamy, ala Fracas, and gives off this effect that's kind of like eating cornbread or something, just because of how rich and filling the tuberose feels - I get that same effect from vintage Poison. For the most part, that seems to be the fragrance. I get hints of styrax (benzoin) and amber in the drydown, but the stars here are a somewhat naughty jasmine vs. a creamy and lovable tuberose. I guess that's a lot like Madge herself, especially in the early days - classy and bleach blonde, yet risque and naughty. I guess you could say this is "Like a Virgin" on her wedding day; still pure and innocent, yet naughty in the sense that she'll be losing her virginity soon.

I get great sillage and longevity out of this one, as expected. If you're a fan of florals, or just wanna see how far they've come, you should definitely try Truth or Dare. It's an excellent fragrance that highlights both jasmine and tuberose in an accessible, yet well-handled way; as expected of Madge.

Great stuff. GONNA DRESS YOU UP IN MY LOOOOOOOVE!

When I told the sales associate at Macy’s that I had come for the Madonna perfume, she didn’t question for even a second the fact that I'm a man or inquire whether I was buying it for a female relative. She knew it was for me and was totally unfazed, an indication that a lot of gay men must be buying Truth or Dare regardless (or perhaps because of) its Jungle Gardenia aspirations. The placement of the fragrance in the store could not have been an accident: it was not obviously situated at the men’s or women’s counters, but in between. Truth or Dare’s unisex intent is further established by its wonderful television ad that visually recalls Madonna’s “Erotica” phase (reviled at the time but now the hottest and most imitated aesthetic reference around) and the noticeable absence of the usually front-and-center gendered marketing terminology: the female announcer merely says, “Truth or Dare, the new fragrance by Madonna.” Not “perfume.” Not “for her.” Fragrance. Nor is it printed anywhere on the box that it is for women. Very clever.
To begin with, nothing you have heard about this fragrance is true, and the general puzzlement and overqualified, reluctant, tight-lipped simultaneous approval /condemnation of it in the perfume blogosphere reflects this. All the reviews thus far go something like this: the reviewer will begin with a disclaimer that she has “admittedly never been a huge fan of Madonna,” a sentiment that I hear every day from every single person every single time Madonna is mentioned that mysteriously belies the fact that Madonna’s tour dates sell out within seconds at astronomical prices and that she is still probably the most famous woman in the world. The reviewer will then marvel at how Madonna is so late to the celebrity fragrance game, insert an unfunny, irrelevant jab about her age, after which will be placed in block quotation the PR copy about the perfume. The reviewer will say that the fragrance smells surprisingly good, surprisingly “old lady” in that it has an extremely noticeable floral component, but will conclude that Truth or Dare is nothing to write home about because who has time for this when you can wear perennial snob favorite Carnal Flower or some other Edgy Cool Indie White Floral that’s not EMBARRASSING like the Madonna perfume! One reviewer cynically and prematurely bashes anyone who might be tempted to “applaud it simply because it is not a predictable cotton candy ditz department store fragrance.” All of this goes to show that Madonna is still a heated, relevant, and above all HIGHLY stigmatized cultural property, as much as she was in the 80’s and 90’s- everyone is fascinated with everything she does, and everyone is still too frightened to immediately embrace any of it until a few years have passed and a bolder critic has stated that it’s okay to like it.
I digress. Wait, no I don’t, because this is a celebrity perfume, and the public perception of the famous name affixed is as integral to the identity of the product as Bruce Weber’s cold, explicit images of Kate Moss were to Calvin Klein’s Obsession, or Victor Skrebneski’s spacious WASP mansion panoramas were to Estee Lauder . Any discussion of Truth or Dare must by necessity include a discussion of Madonna and the fragrance’s marketing. While Truth or Dare is stated to be retro tuberose gardenia floral—a tribute to Madonna’s mother’s unnamed signature scent assumed by everyone to be Fracas—it is in actuality an unexpected, complex, unusual, firmly unisex musk scent with floral, oriental, and gourmand elements in equal measure. It simply smells undeniably terrific: streamlined, sexy, sweet but not too sweet, floral but not too floral, rich but pleasantly cheap, but sniff closer and its shocking character is readily apparent: this is an indole, rubber, and musk fragrance! It is as if a creamy, proudly synthetic white floral accord that smells ambiguously of tuberose, gardenia, and jasmine is underlined by a fierce cocktail of every weird off note that goes along with those smells: big burnt rubber , big fecal indole (to rival Brent Leonesio’s Untitled #8). How is no one noticing how dirty this fragrance is? I have NEVER smelled such proudly displayed skank notes in any mid-range department store celebrity scent! Perhaps it is because the off notes are married so perfectly to a hippie-ish androgynous salty ambery oriental musk base with a beautifully executed burnt sugar note. Truth or Dare’s closest relatives are, I would say, Angel for its two-sided vulgar structure, Juicy Couture for its salty gourmand florals, and Jovan Musk for its loud, ungendered statement of cheap and fun sexuality.
Any complaints? It should probably be labeled an EDT rather than an EDP if only to encourage people to spray it on in great quantities. It is assertive but always pleasant and its ambery musk sticks around a shockingly long time. Depending on how much you wear, it can be a good-time clubbing scent or something more polite for the office. Totally versatile.
If it were approached without prior knowledge of the PR material or that it is endorsed by Madonna, Truth or Dare would undoubtedly be embraced for its originality, defiance of easy categorization, unisex potential, and unique, humorous bottle design that looks like nothing else currently in department stores except that wonderfully kitschy teal opaque Youth-Dew bottle. When was the last time I had this much FUN with a mainstream department store release? I love it to death.

Had high hopes for this one as a good tuberose/gardenia white floral IS my perfume holy grail. The gardenia top is nice, true to the flower, then it does veer toward sweet candy territory. A change in direction but it holds a sweet tuberose character, supported by a caramelized vanilla benzoin that is very much like the base of Guess Seductive, though for some reason this one felt more comfortable, and maybe not as sweet as the Guess. It's also unique that there is nothing fruity in Truth or Dare. If not a total white floral, it is a modern strong and sexy elixir.

I don't care about any celebrities but I was curious to see what this smelled like. I sampled it at Macy's yesterday. SA told me that it will launch in a few days but they had a tester and I was able to try it. I am not sure what I was expecting but I was pleasantly surprised.
First you get very lush gardenia and tuberose. Let me mention that I absolutely adore fresh gardenia and since I live in the tropics I smell it all the time. Truth or Dare definately recaptures the essence of the flower and then kicks it up a notch with some vanilla and amber. When I first smelled it, I immediately thought that this smelled like something local Polonesian women would wear and mentioned it to SA. She said"wait a while, it starts turning sweet like candy". She was right because after the scent mellowes out, it does smell more sweet and candy like. However, tuberose is still present in full force, and it totally dominates this scent.
I think the name is quite appropriate since this scent has an innocent side and more daring side, hence truth or dare. I can see some resemblance to Fracas but I would prefer Truth or Dare.
This is rather unusual and eclectic scent which fits Madonna's style perfectly. I don't think it will be loved by all since its definately not mainstream enough and not everyone would like a lush tuberose scent.
I see this is exotic, sexy and very lush and tropical-picture brozed women with flowers in their long black hair, wearing bright colored sarongs-this scent is what I would expect them to smell like

This is very nice jasmine but since I already own 3 other very nice jasmines, Fracas, Acqua Allegoria Jasminora and Songes, I dont need another, so while I like Truth or Dare, I wont be getting it.

This is my first celebrity fragrance I have sampled from anyone. Madonna enters the race a little late in the game. This should have came out 20 years ago with its namesake movie. Well, here it is, love it or hate it. My local Macys was giving out samples.

Looking at the ingredient list, I expected Fracas or Giorgio Beverly Hills. It is post 2000 tuberose. Every floral note is synthetic. They lack projection power. They are acceptable. The heart/base is where it becomes gourmand and yummy. This effect last about an hour, as the florals keep peeking through. Its soft, graceful and light. It acts like an EDC and requires frequent resprays.

The bottle looks like a holy water flask. Its somewhat absurd, really and totally Madonna. Coty must be using all synthetics today. For $68. a bottle, you are just paying for Madonna marketing. Flankers are inevitable. Soon the bottles will only contain water.

AAARGH ... this is a Coty fragrance!!! It should be available EVERYWHERE ... it should be crawling out of the walls in Malls all over the planet!!! Instead, Ebay profiteers like authentictopbrands11 are charging a whopping $130.20 incl. postage for something that can be bought for $69.99 at Macy's. Nearly double!!! It's revolting. Where are the days of huge fragrance launches when willing casuals walked around stores handing out samples and merrily spraying everyone within arm's reach from a never ending supply of tester bottles? These days one is forced to endure 'legal racketeering' on Ebay. Sorry Madge ... as much as I love you and want to buy your frag I won't be ripped off for it. C'est la vie.

I think Madonna wanted this perfume to be something of a homage to her mother with some of herself mixed it she didn't need to create a perfume to stay in the spotlight or make money this I think was just something she decided to do after years of saying no to the idea.

Having not smelt it yet I cant comment on the smell. The bottle to me like others have noted conjures up images of like a prayer not truth or dare though, but I understand the white is for the white florals, its a shame she didn't do two fragrances and have this as Like a prayer and then a more statuesque bottle in deep purples with leather for truth or dare as thats the image from her career those words symbolise for me with a darker scent. But then does the bottle matter.

One thing I am disappointed by is so far theres no male or unisex version come on madonna the boys love you give us a fragrance too please

If you love Fracas, you'll love this! I don't so I didn't. Could someone please tell me what is that note that is so prominent in both at the top/middle? Whatever that is I'd really like to know. There is an old men's fragrance Aramis (sp) that effects me the same way. : (

Oh wow, LOVE THIS. this is sultry with a bit of devilish skank, tuberose gardenia heaven! To like this fragrance you MUST be a fan of loud luscious heady tuberose and not afraid to smell a little "dirty"/naughty. It's intoxicating and narcotic. Def thick amber and sweet lily detected in background and musky throughout. I felt like a powerful seductive bad girl wearing this haha. This won't go unnoticed, I think it's a unique take on these type of florals, this tuberose is not for the tame, definite on the "dare" side of the spectrum and animalic babyyy

The dry down is beautifully unique vibrantly sensual carmalized amber and vanilla absolute. It's inky and kind of like vanilla extract, it's the perfect counterpart to the bright dark duality of the intoxicating white floral

Oh boy.... Where do I start with this one? Oh Madonna you have disappointed me so! There are so many perfumes out there that smell like and resemble this one. I first became familiar with the scent of gardenia, honeysuckle and tuberose when the Kate Spade fragrance first came out....ever since then it seems like mixologists have wanted to steal her notes.
Kate Spade, Kim Kardashian, Marc Jacobs, the original Coach fragrance... and *somewhat* a bit with the J'adore ...all have the same main flowery notes. At least J'adore dries into a creamy almost, jasmine like scent... Whereas the others leave with the sunny fragrances of the spring. I mainly smell honeysuckle, a touuuucchhh of jasmine, tuberose and the white gardenia.
This combo of flowers has become so familiar to me that it just isn't original anymore....I'm so disappointed MDNA. ....you at least coulda tried to make it a little bit sexier (maybe more appropriate for nighttime wear) like the "truth or dare" name it suggests. BOOOoOOoO!!!!!
:::::UPDATE::::::
Soooo.... I sorta kinda smell this "dry down" that the others are speaking of...however, for me it is not a vanilla-almond like lingering. It is more musky, dusty, and musty. That's the only way I can put it, Madge -- an old-lady name for an old-lady fragrance.
Doesn't stick well on my body and I suppose doesn't mesh with my chemistry in order to make this lovely, supposed sweet smell. .....on to the next one.....

I'm also eager to know if this will be released in Europe? i'm assuming it will. I am one of those madonna brats who grew up listening to her, my first ever album and all so as you can imagine i am very curious to see what the perfume will smell like!

Does anybody know if this will be launched in Europe? There are 4 items on eBay for this perfume , but they seem very expensive for a coty perfume , and the shipping cost form USA to UK is so much i could get a diff perfume down in town for just that shipping cost.

I do hope she releases it here. After all she has European/Italian roots and she owns several properties in the UK too.

I haven't ever had the chance to try "Fracas" ( You just don't see Robert Piguet frags very often in the UK) , so Ive no idea what this is going to smell like. As another member has said - Madonna has waited a long time to do this so i'm sure she wouldn't put her name to any old "Juice".

I purchased this perfume and returned it right away. When I first sprayed it on, the first thing that came into my mind was my great grandmother and all my elderly neighbors i grew up with as a child. I would hate to wear this on a date and have a guy think of his elderly neighbors.. The perfume is horrible.

I really love this. I used to avoid tuberose and white florals like the plague because they seemed harsh and loud to me and didn't sit right with my nose. This is not one of those harsh in your face white florals that clean out your sinuses, it is a nice mellow white floral with a really nice gentle vanilla carmelized amber dry down. I really would love to get a bottle of this!!!

Non ho ancora avuto il piacere di sentire questo profumo. Ma ritengo che la motivazione che Madonna ha trovato per descriverne la composizione sia molto tenera e bella!..."Perchè assomiglia al profumo di mia madre, al ricordo che ho di lei"... Ha detto...

FINALLY! Haha. It's another white floral fragrance. But I've been loving me some white florals lately so it's perfection in my book. The dry down is DELICIOUS! The caramelized amber and vanilla make Truth or Dare a deliciously yummy comfort scent. It isn't as heavy as say, Kim Kardashian's. It stays close to the skin but it stays on forever! I love me a big white floral that isn't overpowering at all. Bravo MDNA! The blotters look like the bottle! I LOVE it! Haha. : )

4/11/12: Just got it! I finished my midterms and felt like treating myself. Haha. I LOVE it! I want the matching products SO bad! Starting w/ the shower gel. Yum! They have to make a cream, not just a lotion, for it. Here's hoping. : )

I'm going to buy this next week, it sounds AMAZING! I really love the bottle, I don't get why some are saying it looks cheap ect..... I think it looks like a Classic! and I'm sure it will end up that way. Madonna has had Perfume & Fragrance offers for OVER 20 years! This alone tells me it is something she has worked very hard on, She did not just approve the Fragrance and let them put her name on it to sell something, She don't need the money,It's something she wanted to do at this point in her life. She waited for the right time and worked her butt off to make it something that she WILL ware and something she is proud of. One thing I really respect about Madonna is the way she works, If it is something she don't like or don't believe in She will NOT put her name on it! You can believe that!

You're going to have to be a gardenia fan or a Fracas fan to really like this one. Just left Macy's and at first spritz it's a whole lot of Neroli and Gardenia but if you let it sit for a while it starts to dry down to a softer gardenia and Tuberose scent. This doesn't smell like anything I have since I Just got into Tuberose after an extreme hate of it so I purchased it. I hope the Caramelized Amber and Vanilla shine through after a bit because I can't smell it now but this is definitely a modern take on Fracas. At first sniff it IS fracas and Madonna seems to be in love with it. In one of her docus she's DOUSING herself in it. The bottle is nice in person. I'll test it for a few weeks to give the final verdict : )

::Update:: Ok, the drydown is so creamy and soft and sweet. Reminds me of a Jordan Almond! I hope the lotion skips the top notes and just goes straight for the DryDown!

::Body Lotion Update 3/27/12:: Ok, for those of you who do not like the top note Gardenia/Tuberose/Neroli/FRACAS smell than I would suggest the Body Lotion. While the body lotion is watery, it has more of the vanilla and caramelized amber scent to it that the fragrance has in the dry-down. I've been wearing this stuff since I got it and the lotion just came today! Bravo, Madonna, you old wench!

I got my Macy's order yesterday and couldn't wait to try it. First off, the opening composition is purely gardenia and tuberose and it's loud. So loud in fact, that I was thinking "Oh Lord, I might have to wash this off!" But I didn't, I stuck it out and the dry down is much more mellow. I smell mostly gardenia by that time with slight nuances of amber and tuberose with a little sweetness added in. I like it, but I don't know if it's for me. I love gardenia and tuberose, but I think this might have a little too much for me. However, I can't argue with the lasting power and it doesn't smell like anything else I own. I might give it another shot as it's probably one of those frags that has to "grow" on me; I have a few in my collection like that and they ended up being my favorites. Overall, it's a nice frag, but if gardenia and tuberose aren't your thing, you might want to steer clear. Hope this helps! :)

Personally, I don't care about the name on the bottle. It's what's inside of it that matters. I love and respect Madonna as an artist, but in my opinion this perfume is terrible. I was kind of disappointed because I was hoping that this would be something I really liked.

I tried this fragrance on my wrist today and then continued shopping. I couldn't stop smelling my wrist! I'm not crazy, crazy Madonna; although you can't deny that she's extreamly talented and appartently she is at creating fragrances also. Mind you I want it to be perfectly clear, I did NOT buy this because it's "Madonna" - I'm not a celebrity fragrance girl. But this perfume is enchanting, graceful, seductive, serene and sophisticated. I'm telling you; try it if you can, she doesn't "overdo" any of the notes; it lasts for hours in a more subdude state. I bet your going to like it, come on... truth or dare?

I like Madonna because she has really stood the test of time, and she is a brilliant artist. Like others, I have often wondered why she never created a perfume many years ago. I know people diss celebrities for coming out with frags, but really, if you had the money, wouldn't you do the same? I would love to create a fragrance! True, some celebrities do it to make more money, but some of them may actually be fragrance fans and they may want to put their imagination to work in other ways. I have no idea what this smells like, but I love tuberose and gardenia both because they are so feminine smelling. So, I did the unthinkable and pre-ordered this from Macy's. Impulsive, yes, but I don't care! If I don't end up liking it, then I'm sure my mom or sister would love it as a gift. :)

I cant imagine Madonna being compared to Jessica Simpson... It is good you joined this forum, you have lots to learn. Not that I really care about either one. But Madonna is such a bright smart business woman in general, that i don’t think she needs to try too hard to stay in the spotlight. This woman throughout the years has been true to herself and known what she wants and how to get it...(way from drugs, damming press) unless she creates a nice controversy purposely.
Don’t care much about her or any celebrity for that matter, but I have to admit she is brilliant. I am sure most of you will agree, with the money she has, she created this fragrance to keep herself busy. So no, I doubt any Simpson tactics here.
Yes she adores Fracas and loves Tuberose. I also don’t care for either one as I don’t like white flower perfumes, but will I own a bottle of this, YOU BET.

I smelled it today!!! I work in a fragrance department (for Coty) and had a training for new season fragrances. It is sheer gardenia and lily that you can smell. Very sweet and intoxicating. So not for me...and I love Madonna so much... the bottle is interesting...but it looks a bit monastic to me. Madonna should have been dressed as a nun in the commercial for it.

Regardless of what this perfume ends up smelling like, we can be almost 100% sure that it will not be signature material, I have never come across a celebrity fragrance that was, and the bottle looks like a cheap container for holy water, not feminine or sexy in the least, ergo this is Madonna grasping at straws to keep herself in the spotlight. It's sad because she is an incredible performer/artist, that shouldn't have to resort to Jessica Simpson tactics (not to say JS's frags, shoes, etc are bad but she's NOT an artist by any stretch of the imagination). Having said that, I also hope she doesn't pull a Mariah Carey and feature this frag in a music video...I wish her luck with this 'cause she's really gonna need it!

Well, this looks like it might be interesting!

I'm amazed Madonna didn't come out with a fragance (or two or 12 or 48 of them by now!) before this too. I love gardenia, hopefully it isn't overwhelmed by the tuberose or neroli! Will definitely be looking to sample this.

I really don't like the bottle -- I guess the aim was for a white bottle to symbolize the "white florals," with the studded cap and edges representing Madonna's naughty dominatrix side? With the Christian cross intersecting the initial M -- shouldn't this fragrance more precisely be called "Like a Prayer??" For a scent called "Truth or Dare" I think I'd have been pushing for a bottle in indigo or deep violet, something edgy and dramatic, with gold and ruby red highlights ... just my humble opinion!

So many people ticking "love " or "dislike" when nobody has tested it yet ! And couldn't agree more with Lil Mju 's comment " And how do you bring out the NOTES?! "....Exactly .... Silly people clicking on the NOTES they have NOT smelled yet !! Sigh .......


I will test this , the bottle is "Interesting" to say the least. I think it could actually look quite good on a Gothic backdrop. It reminds me of the "Repellant Water" from an Antique "Vampire Protection Kit"( that I once saw at an antiques market) . For me , that's a good thing. At least its not of the boring same old Pink bottles genre :)

The bottle now associates with "interesting /goth/quirky/holy water /vampire- kit " in my brain!!

14 people love it or hate it, and still have not been able to sniff it?? I dont get it.

I totally agree with Lil Mju . . . you can't judge something you have not had the liberty of testing. I can't wait to try this. I will be like Karlee79 I will own a bottle whether I like it or not.

I have read that one of Madonna's fave perfumes is Tubereuse Indiana by Creed; therefore, the prominent tuberose note must come from there.

Hi everyone.. I'm sure lots of people are asking this question - Why do you actually judge the scent before it is actually released?! If you want to guess what it will smell like, write a review like everyone below. And how do you bring out the NOTES?! I mean, to tell them apart don't you actually have to SMELL the fragrance?! Look guys we do this not only for urselves but for other people as well!
I honestly don't care if this review isn't gonna recieve any baloons or will be deleted 5 mins later after I wrote this.
Well that's just my personal opinion about people pre-judging perfumes (and not only).

@glitteralex: Madonna is a master of the masses, remember? ;) Why have people casted votes on the notes if the frag is not out yet? :)