Truth or Dare is the debut scent from pop icon Madonna. I am frequently forced to “research” the “celebrities” whose perfumes I review here, but even I know who Madonna is, and so I assume you do too. An informal survey of young people (ok, I just asked my tween son) reveals that her fame is wide enough to cross generational boundaries, but Truth or Dare is aimed at a more mature audience than most celebrity fragrance efforts, albeit not one quite so mature as Madonna herself — they’re after women 25 to 45, with special emphasis on the 35 to 45 group. Once you cross 45, as we all know, you’re safely outside of the fragrance industry’s radar.

Truth or Dare is apparently associated with Madonna’s new lifestyle brand of the same name (next up: shoes), and it was made under licensing arrangements with Coty. I’ll repeat the statement from Madonna that I quoted when I announced Truth or Dare:

I have always been obsessed by fragrance and for years wanted to create something personal that was an expression of me, but that other people could relate to as well. Something classical and timeless and yet modern. My oldest memory of my mother is her perfume. I carry it with me everywhere. She always smelled like gardenias and tuberose, an intoxicating mixture [that was] feminine and mysterious. I wanted to re-create this scent, but with something fresh and new about it as well.¹

I have no idea what Madonna’s mother wore, but I’ve always heard that Madonna herself wore Robert Piguet Fracas, and it’s easy enough to believe that Fracas was the reference for Truth or Dare — Truth or Dare is basically a big ole white floral with an armload of tuberose and a gardenia tucked behind the ear…

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