Maasaï Mara Parfums Berdoues for women and men

Great scent profile, I have several in this genre so had to get my nose on it. Fruity, spicy christmas, lots of cinnamon, gourmand festive fruitcake. What's not to love? Don't get tobacco, some have mentioned it. Very jammy with dried fruits really prominent as opposed to it's comparisons. Not quite as beast mode as some others I own, but definitely a good one.

This is a unisex perfume in which, despite being classified as mainly fruity by Fragrantica, I almost only notice the spices, mainly cinnamon, some undeclared tobacco leaves and vanilla. It is not a perfume that transports me back to the Masai Mara but it is a composition that I enjoy.

It has a moderate sillage and lasts for at least 10-11 hours on my skin.

I don't have Naxos or Oajan here to compare to but I have compared it side by side with Daniel Josier's Ambre Tabac. Compared to it, it seems to me a fresher perfume, with less projection, more intense on the cinnamon and less sweet.

Although it is not my favorite with the tobacco note, I think it is a good perfume with a fairly cheap price compared to other perfumes with which it shares the same style. Also, despite seeming more appropriate to be used in cold seasons, I think it can be more wearable in higher temperatures than most of them.

Smell 7/10
Duration 10/10
Sillage 7/10
Quality/price 7.5/10
Versatility 7/10
Packaging 8/10
Would I buy again? I did not buy it

This offering has nothing to do with Africa, nor is the note pyramid particularly accurate, but for the price this is an excellent choice for people looking for a sweet cinnamon heavy pipe-tobacco-y oriental with good performance and without anything edgy or unusual pocking around that may set you or other people around you off.

So there is definitely a dominance of cinnamon and clove-like raw materials in the opening , but at the same time also some powdery ionones and sweet fruity compounds mixing to create this recognizable warm exterior that allows for the benzoin and vanilla compounds in the base, together with ambery and smoky notes in the base, to form this familiar sort of vanillic spicy tobacco experience most people would associate with the Tom Ford tobacco offerings.

To be honest I am not a big amber oriental fan, there are only few ambers in my collection that I enjoy, but I find this relatively inexpensive amber oriental superior to most tobacco ambers of the designer market and to a lot of the edgy lower end niche offering that revolve around this theme. So definitely something to check out if you enjoy the genre or if you are looking for an every day winter fragrance that won't break the bank.

Maasaï Mara smells absolutely gorgeous and its ingredients are smoothly blended. To me, honeyed cinnamon and the camphoric aura of buchu are the most prominent notes. In between, I also believe to smell traces of apple cider. However, the fact that this perfume becomes an instant skin scent on me keeps me from loving it. When outdoors, I do not even get an occasional waft and when indoors, I have to smell myself from up close. This is such a shame because the scent itself is so smooth and sophisticated.

320
I had higher hopes for this.
It begins very good with a sweet spiced fruity herbal aroma, with dry cinnamon, almost like a fruity spiced tea scent.

However, it’s terribly weak in projection and strength. Maybe in warmer weather it will be better. I’ll try it in warm weather again.

Dry-down is not as nice for me, as it smells like a dry dusty light cocoa cinnamon patchouli (focus on patchouli).

7/10-it’s okay, too weak.
Would not repurchase.

Blind bought a travel spray of this which I received today and my first impression is that this perfume is an absolute love! The smell reminds me of a “dessert soup” made out of plums cooked on the stovetop on christmas ( I think it is something traditionally Finnish). To me Maasai mara is the perfect combination of sweet, herbal and spicy. So warming and cozy which makes it perfect for the autumn/winter (although, as many have already stated, the smell brings your mind to the Savannah just like the name suggests) Also the longevity is really good on my skin, it’s more than 10 h ago since I sprayed it and it is still going strong. I think if someone enjoy the DNA of Angel’s share there is a good chance the same person would enjoy this one - although they smell quite different they kinda have a similar vibe (at least to my nose).

the initial spray is a deadringer for tf tobacco vanille. it settles down into something a lot warmer and cosier though. underrated gem!

This one isn’t talked about much, but is certainly deserving of attention. I decided to sit with this tonight & allow myself to appreciate the wearing. It opens up with a dose of cinnamon & dried fruits. I get Plum, Apricot & Date. It’s spicy & sweet, but not cloyingly so. The tartness of the Plum, balances the sweetness, well. As the spice subsides a bit, Chamomile & an herbal facet, present itself. Lending a warm & slight green, element, to the fragrance. Adding depth & a calming, contemplative, aspect, that is very cozy. As it dries down further and really settles onto the skin, the Labdanum, Vanilla & Patchouli begin to shine. It’s smooth & warm, with the texture of a fine suede or leather. As if you were enjoying a cup of Chamomile tea, in a leather lined pavilion, overlooking the Savanna, while the aroma of dried fruit & vanilla shisha smoke, linger throughout. You step outside to catch a glimpse of the setting sun and bask in its dwindling rays. As the Sun begins to fade, the Earth, and the surrounding grasses, give off earthy tones, to ground your scent palate. Maasaï Mara wears light, but doesn’t lack character. I love scents like this. Deep, Exotic, Unique and luxurious, without being dense, cloying, or overly synthetic. The blend is beautiful, the ingredients feel quality and overall, it’s just a very pleasant wear.

Very similar to Pure Havane except it’s a lot more dry and arid.

This is beautiful! It smells natural, classy, expensive, sensual, mysterious and exotic. I imagine african royalty wearing it. It reminded me of Tobacco Vanille from Tom Ford, but Massai Mara is more wearable. I get mostly dried fruits and spices. It’s perfect for fall and winter and could definitely be someone’s signature scent, but it’s not a safe blind buy.
Try it if you like very spicy scents.
Final note: 10/10

My batch I get a strong tobacco note with spice and vanilla, this is very close to Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille with a dried fruit note and a little less vanilla. Not identical but close.

Maybe there’s some batch variation or a reformulation with this because some people disagree with the TV comparison but in my opinion the similarities are undeniable. A good alternative to TV if you can get this from a discounter for about $120-150. I like this better in certain aspects because it’s not as sweet and cloying and sometimes TV smells like Yankee Candle Co. scented candle.


Still testing performance but projection is very good, one spray on my hand fills a room or at least projects 6-8 feet indoors for the first hour from what my family says.

This opens with full on cinnamon note. Very synthetic. This note wanes to a slightly more fruity accord but still cinnamon is there. Not sure why this should evoke the Maasai Mara. Cant say Im a big fan of this having blind bought a FB.

So cozy, exotic but not in a way that feels unfamiliar. Welcoming and warm but with a note of intrigue. Genuinely enjoyed this one, bought another bottle for my sister bc she seemed to enjoy it so much. It smells much more sweet on her, if I close my eyes I can smell honey. Isn't overpoweringly sweet like decay, more syrupy.

Surprisingly impressive: beautifully warm, rich, mid-brown, redolent of sweet spice, not overly cute or sweet, and lasting for much longer than most Berdoues Exclusifs. Obviously the fantasy of the Maasai Mara does strange things to my head, because not only does this NOT smell anything like real-life Kenya or anything in it (and I know!), but it CAN start smelling weirdly like a sweet-spiced tobacco-centric scent, a sibling or near cousin to Phaedon Tabac Rouge or TF Tobacco Vanille - even though its vanilla isn't huge and there is no tobacco in there at all! Bizarre. But you can still sit, live and love comfortably in this lovely, relaxing, undemanding, soft-focus ambiance of generalised sweetness and goodness. Not wild or rugged or untamed at all (so, another reason the name is wrong ... this has nothing feral or animalic about it whatsoever), but yes, it somehow does evoke dust in a hot sun, scent trails through warm damp undergrowth, maybe even a tang of hide or cut wood in the odd moment. Cinnamon is strong so avoid if that's not the spice for you.

I'm often tormented by gorgeous Berdoues ideas which evaporate off the skin in a flash but thanks to the warm ambery underlayer this one hangs on for 3-4h, which still isn't great, BUT will plump up again really nicely with a respray and then last for maybe another 7-8, still detectable, even on my skin which sucks up perfume like a herd of gnu get through an African watering-hole. In one way, what's interesting about it is the way it steers a classy middle course between cheap-but-spicy mainstream ambers (like maybe Annayake Miyako or something similar) and much weirder, more demanding experiments like Mancera Hindu Kush or Laudano Nero. Its meld of fruit and cinnamon reminds me quite a bit of TF Plum Japonais and Zoologist Camel, though much less sophisticated than either. It's way more mainstream than the weirder end there, but does still have enough character to put it miles out of the tame-amber petting-zoo park, and further into wilder territory.

True unisex - though sweet, in a a golden-light-of-the-magic-sunset-hour, honeyed-tobacco way - and never headache-inducing. It's not the most amazing thing you'll ever smell. But it really is seductive. It's the Lion King as a friendly cub. Roll with it!

3/10

Wonderful amber. The resinous amber accord is sweet enough but not cloying. What really makes this stand out for me against other ambers are the herbal notes in the middle and the base. Gives it a feel of tea. Really great twist on an amber. I love it.

I love this fragrance so much! I hadn't read any reviews or notes when I first tried it, which I think is good to do sometimes because I didn't focus on the cinnamon or orange or the African vibe. I actually thought it was possibly incense that I picked up with maybe some myrrh.. Honestly, the first thing that came to mind, was Guerlian tonka imperial, or wait, 20 mins later... was this Spritiuese Doublet Vanille? I kept going back and forth mostly leaning toward Tonka, but since I have them both and they are among my top five of all time I was amazed that this one brought both of them together for me... with better longevity. This fragrance develops and subtly changes over time becoming more an more beautiful even when you think it cant get better.It is such an underrated, undiscovered fragrance, which I kind of like, becasue I can have it for myself lol, and for such a great price! This is my new little secret, my new love.

Hm, very interesting and relaxing. Warm and resinous. I can feel some rooibos whiff as well. Rich perfume, but not overwhelming.

First impressions off a scent strip - very, very delectable dried fruits/plum to open with, meandering hints of cinnamon underneath. The dried fruit accord causes it to border on gourmand territory. Further ahead in the progression there's a larger role played by the cinnamon along with benzoin giving it a classic Old Spice sort of vibe - this part reminds me a little bit of Jaipur Homme by Boucheron.

I find it to be incredibly unique. Definitely love at first sniff.

Hmm.. an interesting brand i examined just 2 days back!

Cinnamon powder, plums, and dried fruits is what i got when i sniffed this blend although it started with bits of labdanum but then settles into a sweet cinnamon fruitti blend. I kind of sense bits of a very very lighter version of "Fille en Aiguilles" by Serge Lutens.

It's a sheer satin sheets. nice.

Maasai Mara is a cozy and comforting cinnamon-orange-dried fruits blend that's very easy to wear. Dry, understated, and perfect for autumn-winter or a cool evening anytime.

Sunny, warm, spirited! Was wearing a cheetah print ensemble today, and my OCD compulsion for synergy thought this would be apropos b/c of the name! Loved it! The composition is complex, lots of layered accords. Rich vanilla and subtle cinnamon form the base for warm fruit, exotic herbs with a hint of wild resin. Has a note of African Buchu too - adds a touch of authenticity, the scent of plains grasses under the hot African sun. Performance exceptional - the aroma stays good throughout the drydown. Good sillage and longevity. Compliments and requests for the name when I went out. +1 for Synergy!

Tobacco Vanille (TF) little brother, i love this one more to be honest, very soft and long lasting, smells divine, for colder weather this is a winner.

Very warm, spicy yet comforting scent. Fruity sweet, but not too sweet with a rich scent that I find more masculine, but could definitely be worn by both men and women. The Spanish labdanum comes through nicely. Very long-lasting. I love it.

Maybe it is the name or the description, but if I close my eyes, I do imagine myself being out on the vast savanna of Africa.