A Wren Says

Brown Girl Jane. I was excited to see the brand name listed on the Sephoria directory. Finally, I would have a chance to smell the brand. I got to know the story a bit in the Next Big Thing section and took the opportunity to talk to one of the brand’s co-founders, Malaika Jones. When I asked about her favorite fragrances, of course the answer is all of them, but Carnivale has a particular place in her heart.

Carnivale

$102 for 50 mL

Notes:

Top: Caribbean mango, jasmine, nectar 

Mid: Amber, ginger, whipped musks

Base: Golden pimento, sandalwood, vanilla

Carnivale is a fruity fragrance with a juicy mango top note to take you to joyous celebrations of Carnivale in Trinidad. Smelling it on paper I felt the mango to be prominent, much more so than how it shows up on my skin. On me, it feels more nuanced and wrapped tightly in with the other notes. However, as I am wearing this, and this is weird,  if I inhale a little bit longer, I can smell it the mango at the end, even though I thought it faded away. The fruitiness becomes more apparent when I let myself experience the fragrance more.

The fragrance feels subtle. It feels more like a get-together than a party. I don’t feel like it projects very much on me. And wearing around people who are vocal about fragrances, I didn’t get a response. I also find it to have a short wear time on me, maybe 5 hours. And if you are really out there for Carnivale, that by no means matches the length of the festivities.

If you are looking for a nuanced fruity fragrance, this might be one to try. I wish that I still had Mango Skin by Wilhelm Parfumerie to compare. Based on my notes, they are both more than just mango, but this one feels fruitier. If you had to make a decision between the two, go for this one if you want to smell fruity in a way that is light and sweet and fun. Go for Carnivale, if you want if you want a fun light and fruity mango fragrance that errs sweeter. But Mango Skin if you want something more complicated and sophisticated.