Notorious

“Pendora Scents Notorious Review”

Notorious by Pendora Scents is the kind of fragrance that makes its point early. On paper, the structure sounds appealing: licorice, mandarin and suede up top, a heart of coriander, cumin and rum, then vanilla in the base. On skin, that combination looks less like a soft oriental vanilla and more like something sharper, stranger and more synthetic in its first stage.

The opening is likely to be the deciding moment. Licorice and mandarin can create a sweet, aromatic contrast, but the suede note suggests texture rather than freshness, and the single review available describes an oily, metallic, almost urban-industrial impression before the scent turns fruitier. That will not be everyone’s idea of an easy start. If you expect a plush vanilla oriental from the first spray, Notorious may feel more abstract and edgy than the note list suggests.

As it moves forward, the fragrance seems to settle into something more approachable. Rum, coriander and cumin should add warmth, bite and a slightly boozy spice, while the sweeter side starts to show more clearly. There is still a chance that the synthetic tone remains part of the character, but the shape of the scent appears to become rounder and less confrontational once the top notes calm down.

The dry-down is where Notorious makes the strongest case for itself. Vanilla is the only listed base note, and it seems to act as the balancing point for everything that comes before it. Instead of becoming thick, creamy or dessert-like, the vanilla sounds lighter and closer to the skin. That means the finish may feel more like a soft gourmand trace wrapped around lingering spice and suede rather than a full, rich vanilla cloud.

Performance looks moderate rather than forceful. The available wear data points to moderate longevity and moderate sillage, which fits a fragrance that starts with personality but does not necessarily stay loud all day. That can actually help here. A scent with licorice, cumin, suede and synthetic facets is often easier to wear when it stays controlled.

This feels best suited to someone who enjoys unusual designer-style twists, especially fragrances that mix sweetness with leathery or aromatic tension. It does not read like a mass-appeal crowd-pleaser, and it probably is not ideal if you want something smooth, clean or instantly likable. Cooler evenings, casual nights out, and situations where you want a scent with more character than polish seem like the natural fit.

The main takeaway is simple: Notorious may reward curiosity, but it does ask for tolerance toward odd textures in the opening. The vanilla dry-down sounds more wearable than the first impression, which makes this one worth sampling if the note pyramid interests you. Blind buying is harder to justify unless you actively enjoy challenging sweet-spicy fragrances with a synthetic edge.