Manila

[tart]

A tropical, humid, lush scent, with a faint echo of Pacific breezes, jungle blossoms, and deep wet woods. Sampaguita blossoms, banana leaf, palm, and narra.

Firstly, I'd like to say that I was so excited to see Manila added to Wanderlust. My mom is from the Philippines, and I love that BPAL is celebrating the place that she grew up in. I ordered Manila looking for a sexy, tropical scent, and as a tribute to my mother's birth country.

Manila is bright and happy. It reminds me of fruit punch! The color is a beautiful pale peach. I'll update this later with a full review of scents, longevity, all that good stuff.

ETA: After Manila dried, the narra quickly came out. It turned from a floral fruit punch into a very strong incense. Nice, but it smelled too much like wood. The scent was still sexy, but in a more serious than playful way. Edited September 15, 2007 by Shollin

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Juicy and tropical.

 

Second Impression: I can pick out the banana leaf, most definitely. It's very similar to Baba Yaga only not as incensy. It's very much how I imagine a tropical rain forest would smell.

 

Final Analysis: A beautiful, tropical scent...will be just the thing when I've tired of winter and want to inject a bit of summer into the cold days.

[inkstone]

In the imp: Narra and sampaguita blossoms. Very light and tropical.

 

Wet: Sun-warmed narra and palm leaves. I feel like I'm back in the provinces.

 

Drydown: Narra mingling with banana leaf, palm and soft sampaguita. My God, this smells like the rain forest of the Philippines. Which is good because if it really smelled like Manila proper, it'd be smog and pollution. Thankfully, this is pronvincial Philippines at its very best.

 

Final thoughts: I was so excited to see this addition to the Wanderlust category. And I'm not disappointed at all. It smells like the tropics! This is a very summer scent! I may have to get a bottle for my mother.

[jj_j]

I ordered Manila thinking the banana leaf would smell like greenery and not bananas - which I absolutely despise; texture, scent, color, flavor, the works - so I shuddered when I opened the cap and smelled ... yep, bananas.

 

Thank goodness I give all the oils a try. I steeled myself for some serious difficulty writing the review, but luckily, there was no need.

 

The banana smell was only from in the bottle. When I put Manila on, I very quickly had a delectable starfruit impression - tropical, lightly sweet, and the faintest bit of tartness. Slick, with water droplets still on the skin from washing it, and very juicy.

 

I have no idea what some of the notes in Manila smell like on their own, but I can tell you that they combine beautifully. It's interesting to me that Manila is such a marine scent - not just wet, but marine - without any salt, water, and especially that air-freshener note that commercial scents classified as marine often have. This is sitting on a beach, watching the waves roll in and eating fresh fruit from a local market, while the sun goes down.

 

Striking, perfect for summertime, and even more perfect for the days you need to slip away from the stress of everyday life and feel like you've gone back to that beach resort where you spent your honeymoon or spring break.

[Theravada]

I received this as a freebie in my last order, and it's not something that I would have chosen for myself. Often the Lab seems to have some unnatural way of knowing what I'm going to love and adds it to my order, but this time I think Manila was never meant to be....

 

Bananas. I had to stop right there and put the stopper back on the imp. I can't stand the smell of bananas. Off to swap she goes, where hopefully some fruit loving person will give this blend an appreciative home.

[Caitfish]

In the bottle I detect something green, slightly bananaish, but not overwhelming. There is also a bit of an ascetic bite in the bottle, but I believe that this will fade when applied.

 

Yeah, anyone who is put off by the banana-y scent in the bottle should have heart, suck it up, and try it on. Banana is by no means where this scent begins and ends. The banana is definately more banana leaf, slightly banana scented, more green. When applied, the sweet Sampaguita blossoms bloom and create a dreamy tropical haze.

 

This is an incredibly evocative tropical scent, and I'm completely in love. *sigh*

[ipb]

bottle: i am such a geek that when i smelled it, i didn't think "hey, banana," i thought "hey, isoamyl acetate" -- a unique ester that happens to be a component in artificial banana flavorings and fragrances. it's a very compact, in your face banana, something you don't see everyday. but, there's a vibrancy and greenness to the banana that the ester lacks that comes from the leaf no doubt.

 

wet: almost immediately, there's a one-two punch: a lush juiciness (more than just banana) comes out, as well as a floral. relaxing. i like

 

dry: it still keeps that lush juicy floral.

 

i'll be taking it with me on the cruise... it's another light scent. yum.

[Nepthys]

Manila's description sounded lovely and in the vial it was - very aquatic and fruity. For the first 20 minutes, an intense banana smell came forth, backed up by that same aquatic scent, which was okay but nothing special. Then a solid woody scent came forward and this turned into a fruit-tinged version of Cathedral! It was pleasant enough but nothing I'd choose to wear.

[Splendid Molerat]

Manila is an enchanting tropical fragrance -- less airy than Machu Picchu, more spicy humid earth.

And the banana leaf note is bright and carefree, giving a nice lift to the florals.

 

I'll add this to the short list.

[feline.by.design]

I was another excited forumite when Manila was introduced, as my mother hails from the Philippines also (big ups to Baguio City!).

 

Manila, though, I'm kind of *meh* with. I actually like the drydown, evocative of sweet floral incense that has an interesting "tang," as opposed to the initial sampaugita sugar rush when I first applied the oil. I was very close to just washing it off. I like sweet fragrances, but this was just out of control. Although it wasn't my cup of tea, it really fulfills the ideal of Manila really well. Good thing it doesn't smell like what Manila really smells like: smog, diesel exhaust, dust and fish sauce.

 

I'm going to possibly hold onto Manila to give to my mother for Mother's Day (I know, it's a long way off...), or maybe do a swap or sell. Manila is something I can see is a beautiful fragrance, but just not really for me. I'm not too big on the tropical fragrances, but I was really glad to try this out anyway.

 

-doreen

[tesao]

waaaaaaay toofruity and floral. there are other interesting notes, but i can't get past the banana and the flowers. i don't remember their names, but the fragrance DOES remind me of manila. not METRO manila, but the phillipines. a nice smell, but too sweet for my tastes.

 

which is good! i have something else to swap!!!

[tinyvulture]

i wanted something to wear that would make me happy on hot, humid summer days, and manila is perfect - lush, tropical, sweet, slightly aquatic. i smell banana, but it's not the standard, synthetic, in-your-face "banana" scent (like in scratch n' sniff stickers). it's like a green, underripe banana. there's also coconut and fresh flowers. this will be perfect for relaxing in the sun, sipping a cool drink, after a refreshing dip in the pool.

Edited April 20, 2005 by tinyvulture

[summer]

Mmm, I love this. No surprise, as I love bananas. This is the most delicious natural, hot-bananas scent, that fades into gorgeous woody inscence. Banana inscence. Superb. This is the smell of tropical trees. This scent, more than any other "tropical" one, really sings on my skin. I've ordered a 5ml.

[Penance]

First sniff:

 

Banana pudding?! That is weird. I know the description says banana leaf, but I was thinking green, not banana pudding. Very tropical but so far not for me. At all.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Banana daquiri now...this is sweet, sticky banana and a hint of green. I really don't want to smell like bananas, so I think this one's a no-go, unfortunately.

 

Dry down:

 

Banana puree, tropical blossoms (I'm terribly at identifying most florals) and some vague tropical-type greens. I feel like I ought to be wearing a bikini and drinking a banana daquiri.

 

The bottom line:

 

Way too strong on the banana note for me. Manila's going to be finding a new home.

[Digital_Hypoxia]

This was a freebie in my last order (along with the wonderfulness that is Chimera!).

I definitely like this; not enough for a 5ml, but I will be using the imp.

 

It is fruity and spicy, and hints at the cheapo Calgon Hawaiian Ginger spray I love more than is good for me (though not as strong/gingery). It’s a very interesting mix of tropical fruit and flowers, and there’s something in the background that smells like banana pancakes (to me; I’m probably crazy).

 

It manages to be subtle even with the fruity notes; that alone is impressive in my book.

[shelldoo]

in the vial...banana now and later and hubba bubba...today must be bubblegum day for me

 

wet: must be the banana leaf i smell, sweet ripe banana

 

as it dries it becomes less sweet altho the sweetness doesn't dissapear altogether and it gets a weebit smokey, and a bit greener, altho not compeletely green this is very intresting.

 

 

i am starting to think alot of my favs are from wanderlust

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: Wow, I have no idea what half of the listed ingredigents smell like. This should be fun. Hmmm...oddly fruity and sweet. It smells like something else I'm familar with, but I cannot recall what. But it's sweet and kinda lush. Very tropical...and therein lies the answer. This smells like mixed drinks. I don't remember which ones but that's the smell. And, yes, fruit punch, too.

 

Wet: Fruit punch with...a really prominent wood background note. Uhh...this might not work as well as I had hoped. Oh...yummy...fruit punch, which is a little...I don't know. I was thinking this would be a bit more...swanky rather than smelling so close to something overly sweetened and mass produced. It could just be the way it smells on my skin to me, though.

 

Dry down: Uh-oh, there's a really weird cough drop menthol note coming out on my skin. It's like trpoical punch cought drops, which is not flattering for me. And, yeah, wood notes. Some banana leaf. It makes my nose and throat kinda burn when I smell it, though, so I'm guessing that this imp is not destined to last past the initial testing phase. Plus there's that slight burning sensation on my hand to consider as well. *pout*

 

Dry: Woods and smoke, which is really kinda odd, along with that vague menthol note to it. I wish this had gone better on me but my skin is the devil.

[any_old_actress]

FIRST SNIFF: wet & fruity

 

WEARING IT: the lab's description of this is dead on. this is a very lush, wet and humid scent. i find it sweet and delicious, i'd like to drink it almost. i can't quite pinpoint one note but they all work together so well. manila is a tropical punch with ripened bananas thrown in the mix.

 

VERDICT: really great, fun scent. nice for summer.

[ashtonrose]

Manilla smells so sweet to me. After the sweetness died down the banana leaf and palms came into play and they play so very well today. The smell reminds me of a friend of mine cooking. Very tropical dishes with bananas and other delicious fruits I don't know the names of.

 

A pleasant scent to compliment those summer days.

[fathom]

Mmm, fabulous. I love this one-- I think I love all the warm-latitude Wanderlust scents.

In the imp: green banana with a pineappley undercurrent. I don't smell any of the fake-banana scent other reviewers have mentioned.

On the skin: warm tropical fruits with lush wet flowers. The woodiness of the palm comes through after it dries fully, too. I smell a dry hardwood scent, perhaps a hint of sandalwood.

This scent stays true on me for ages. Its the tropical fruit scent I've been looking for!

I definitely need a 5ml for hot summer days...

[Northernminx]

I keep telling myself I can't possibly find anymore fruity scents that I'll like.

 

:bzzzzz: wrong answer, thank you for playing, we have some lovely parting gifts for you.

 

I've discovered a serious love for tropical climes in recent years, and this includes tropical scents. This is lush and sugary at first, floral but not flowery, big lush blossoms in greenery. There's a green banana scent under it that while prominant doesn't smell like banana persay to me. It's greener, more earthy, and gorgeous.

 

Crap. Another fruity scent on the short list!

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Mmmmm, banana. Synthetic banana, but for some odd reason I'm fond of that fragrance so it's all good. This is such a colorful, fruity scent - I can't wait to slather it on.

 

On me: The banana becomes greener, more like a banana leaf. This is still definitely fruity, but much more subdued, like walking through a green garden with tropical fruits growing on the vine, just before they're fully ripened - rather than rich and overripe.

That initial blast of fruit is fading away, being replaced with incense and wood. Faint tropical florals, but mostly this is wet rainforest wood - a good earthy-green scent for those who are a fan of those. Me, I'm a fruit freak, and wish the initial fragrance could have stayed.

[Scylla]

Manila definitely evokes tropical locales, and as such, I brought it with me on my Caribbean cruise last month. It was a perfect choice!

 

In the vial: Fruity and "tropical" smelling

 

Wet, on my skin: Still fruity and tropical, but that quickly fades and I get light florals and woods, like bamboo.

 

On drydown: The fruits have completely faded away, but I smell the tropical blooms and wood. It reminds me of walking in a hot, humid rainforest.

[FireInCairo]

goregous tropical bliss in a bottle... all I can see is Corona...hammoks...and coconut trees..on a gentle breeze. Just lovely.........

[joseybird]

Sweet, almost artificial banana surrounded by florals and heavy, leafy greens. This is what my saruninjas wear, but it smells a bit too generic on me for it to be a standout if only there were a coconut/banana scent!