Unlisted Brand • Scharffen Berger CACAO • Fragrances

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copperbat on 2/3/2006 6:57:00 AM more reviews by copperbat

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I purchased a sample of this scent recently, and while I didn't experience the poo odor, I wasn't at all impressed. It smelled a bit like Necco wafers to me. Stale and overly sweet, overpowered by a shrill citrus oil twang. Drydown never delivered anything remotely chocolatey, only a heavy vanilla. Borrring. Must everyone be so generous with the vanilla notes in food scents? In my search for chocolate perfume, I thought this one would be the one, since it was made from the real thing. Unfortunately, it doesn't deliver any chocolate. Darn.

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bobo33 on 10/2/2005 1:33:00 PM more reviews by bobo33

Age: 36-43   Skin: Very Oily   Hair: Silver   Eyes: Violet    

This was the greatest product ever! I love the grapefruit!

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*TOP REVIEWER* MelissaM on 3/27/2005 11:14:00 PM more reviews by MelissaM

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Like Lori Rodkin's Gothic oils, Cacao ranks right up there in my list of overpriced, overhyped fragrances that prove the old addage right about a fool and his money soon being parted. I'm one of the fortunate few who didn't get the caca note ... however, this is still one of the rankest, vilest fragrances I've ever had the mispleasure of sampling. A dense, dark chocolate note was quickly joined in close tandem by a plasticly, synthetic jasmine that screeched its presence rather than humming softly. Refereed by an orange note rather remiscent of those sugar-coated jelly orange slices, the chocolate and jasmine duked it out for a few more rounds before the chocolate succumbed, leaving jasmine wearing the heavyweight title belt of nasty-yick fragrances. This is truly awful, my friends. Truly awful. One has to wonder, as many reviewers have mentioned, is this fragrance a joke - ???

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tournesol on 3/19/2005 9:46:00 PM more reviews by tournesol

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

An unwashed 400-lb man eats five kilos of dark chocolate and a crate of oranges and hunkers down in a stiflingly hot outhouse for a long sweat followed by a much-needed bowel movement. The door swings open and he lumbers out. You're next. This, my friend, is Cacao. Truly mephitic.

14 out of 14 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

sairentohiru on 2/22/2005 3:09:00 PM more reviews by sairentohiru

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

Even after reading all the negative reviews on here, I still felt the perverse urge to sample this for myself, thinking it couldn't be as bad as everyone said.

Well...

One time I had the misfortune of being seated next to an elderly gentleman on a plane, and he emitted a stream of audible farts that were so rank as to make my eyes water. I never thought I would smell something so horrific again, but I was wrong. This is worse. This makes Eau de Old Man Fart smell like Chanel No. 5.

4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* ellizam on 2/5/2005 2:17:00 PM more reviews by ellizam

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

UPDATED: I didn't have The Poo Experience. I CAN see where the note comes from but it stayed away from me each time I've sampled this.

The real problem I have with Cacao is that it is an exquisite, organic jasmin orange with a 400 lb. gorilla of chocolate latched onto it. Fortunately, while the chocolate opening is unwieldy, it fades within about 10 to 15 minutes and what you're left with is either an orangey jasmine that's very lovely, or an even lovlier moderated jasmine.

I would qualify this review, however, by saying that Mandy Aftel fragrances work on me - I've whatever quirk of chemistry, like being right or left handed, that makes them smell right. And I entered this knowing it was an organic fragrance, almost pure essential oils/extraits, so I knew off the bat to expect the herbal bitterness that often comes with organics.

The price makes my jaw drop, and makes it hard for me to envision getting this. However I peruse various catalogues and look at this periodically, and one day I'm likely to cave in. It is a try before you buy kind of frag, and you have to approach it expecting certain things - an organic, changeable, a slightly bitter/herbal waft that takes a while to mellow out. But I don't think it deserves the onus it's gotten.

I also think the chocolate was a bad pick. Chocolate is heavier, more gravid and bitter and dense. It doesn't mingle well at all with the light, aromatic qualities of jasmin and orange.

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raspberryswirlgirl on 1/7/2005 7:04:00 PM more reviews by raspberryswirlgirl

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry   Hair: Red   Eyes: Hazel    

The stink on this fragrance is legendary. So you can imagine my surprise when I first applied it and it wasn't so bad. Initally it smelled like tootsie rolls (not exactly what I want to smell like, but not near as bad as I'd thought it would be). And then....as quick as you can say "Cacao" came the ca-ca scent. The zoo doo smell. A quick soap and water rinse didn't release me from the CaCa hold (I guess this one has quite the staying power), so get your exfoliaters out for Cacao and scrub! I would give it 1 1/2 stars for just the mere fact that any perfume that has reached legendary status must have something going for it. However, I can't seem to find it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* therese108 on 1/4/2005 5:39:00 AM more reviews by therese108

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

Thought this perfume would be listed under the brand Aftelier, since it's also being sold by Mandy Aftel on her website.

Anyway, I have a new descriptor for this scent ("fragrance" is the wrong word). My husband sniffed it on my wrist and said it smelled like linoleum. I definitely agree with the 80% on this board who had a negative visceral reaction to this. I nearly gagged when I first dabbed it on my wrist, and thought it must be some kind of joke. (I was afraid to dab it on any major pulse points.) Ahem! I happen to be a chocoholic, like most folks, and I have NEVER, EVER encountered a chocolate that smelled like this, even at its darkest and bitterest. This is foul, man--stale, moldy chocolate, if you even get a chocolate note at all.

So now, after trying CSP Amour de Cacao, Serendipitous and this Cacao, I'm still looking for that perfect chocolate scent. On me, Amour is too cocoa powdery, while Serendipitous is yummy but leans a little too much towards vanilla. (La Maison's new scent "Kilikao" is another choco scent worth checking out, plus, it's affordable.)

What WAS Mandy Aftel thinking--did she have a cold when she formulated this odor? And to charge $140 for 1/4 oz., like it's made of gold or something. This has got to be one of the greatest hoaxes foisted on the fragrance world. But as P.T. Barnum said, "There's a sucker born every minute."

Don't even THINK of purchasing this scent without sampling first.

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buleria on 11/28/2004 1:58:00 PM more reviews by buleria

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I received a sample of Cacao as a Halloween "trick." Given its reputation, I held off opening the vial for quite some time. I finally succumbed to curiousity and gave it a whirl. I have to admit I didn't exactly fall madly in love with this scent. Nonetheless, my experience was obviously highly unusual. As far as I'm concerned Cacao is fine. It's innocuous. I smell lots of sweet jasmine. A bit of cocoa, but mostly jasmine. That's all. Nothing to write home about, but no poo to speak of. Maybe it's my weird chemistry? I dunno. I give it two-and-a-half lipsticks.

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*TOP REVIEWER* ECMac25 on 11/10/2004 10:36:00 PM more reviews by ECMac25

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Black    

Reading the reviews on this made me laugh so hard my stomach muscles are still in knots....

I also find this to smell unpleasant....I thought the samples I requested just turned rancid, but apparently from the negative reviews, I suppose not. I do detect the cocoa/chocolate notes in this, but mixing that with something tangy like jasmine....or any floral for that matter, just doesn't work. The overall effect is like something that's in the process of rotting. The perfume consistency itself is rather thick...it's bordering on being syrupy. I love the bottle this comes in though...wish the fragrance was just as elegant/pleasing. A fragrance this expensive shouldn't be so off-putting....ridiculous.

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Lucyshnoosy on 8/30/2004 4:20:00 PM more reviews by Lucyshnoosy

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

O.M.G. I received a vial of this as a Fragrance board prank, and tested it immediately.

For the first moments, it was just a fairly inoffensive cocoa. But then the urine note began to blossom. I forced my DS to sniff my arm, and he said it smelled like urine. Yes, a a sort of generic dirty public-restroom urine scent.


Soon the unforgettable drydown emerged, with a strong overtone of horrible (and ineffective) caustic restroom deodorizer over the urine.

*Shudder* Never again.

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Kyahgirl on 7/7/2004 4:29:00 PM more reviews by Kyahgirl

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

Well, I've smelled worse. Honestly. This comes across as unsweetened, raw, cocoa powder, sprinkled on a jasmine sprig. This is NOT something nummy! I don't catch the 'ca-ca' accord that people mention but the bitter edge of the cocoa could be interpreted that way. I can't see there being much of a market for this.

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cjblue on 6/10/2004 4:23:00 PM more reviews by cjblue

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

OK, this particular hot potato was passed to me a few days ago, and out of fear, I only sampled the tiniest bit on my hand. When it didn't send me sick to the bathroom, I decided I'd give it the full-on try. But only on one wrist. So this morning I pulled out the little sample and applied a liberal drop to one arm. And I have to say, even the color of that stuff is unappealing.

The full-on try actually did send an initial cloud of noxious fumes up my nose in an attempt to gag me (which is easy to do first thing in the morning...I think I got used to it with two very long bouts of morning sickness, blech.) So I avoided my wrist for about 15 minutes, hoping it would calm down a little. Unfortunately, while it lessened in intensity, it never settled. It smells to me (and on me) like cocoa and jasmine, having a violent argument. The Cocoa seems to win out but it's just not a pleasant cocoa, especially with the jasmine elbowing its way in all the while. And there's some other very sharp, unpleasant note in there (like ammonia) that I can't identify. Only once, when I reached for something, did I get the poopy accord and thought "Oh, so this is what they're talking about!" But just as quickly, it was gone. I endured this for two hours and finally washed off what I could and covered up the rest with lotion and perfume.

My verdict: This is not the worst perfume ever created, and it might smell nice on somebody else (I have seen good reviews!), but it is absolutely nothing I would ever wear.

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*TOP REVIEWER* SuburbanSue on 5/24/2004 2:11:00 AM more reviews by SuburbanSue

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

To quote Marlon Brando in "Apocalypse Now" -- "The horror! The horror!" There cannot possibly be a more noxious-smelling concoction than this. If there is, I hope to never encounter it. What on earth was Mandy Aftel thinking when she created this stinker? Top note of animal manure battles a chocolate/citrus/floral, and the manure wins. And unfortunately, it has remarkable staying power. But never mind my rantings -- this is one of those fragrances that you've just got to sample, because it's so dreadful. Words cannot do it justice.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

authordonnah on 5/22/2004 12:23:00 PM more reviews by authordonnah

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I don't know what to think... apparently my skin chemistry (which doesn't always agree with certain fragrances) likes this!

I get a pronounced deep chocolate liqueur note initially. Then it gets sweeter like white flowers along with dark, dark chocolate, and then soon enough it dries down into a lovely, pronounced, not sweet, *COCOA*... a REAL cocoa.

Making this one of my favorite fragrances of all time. Go figure!

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*TOP REVIEWER* tressab on 5/20/2004 10:24:00 PM more reviews by tressab

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Chocolate Poo, with a hint of orange. Where does that sewage smell come from?? I want to avoid that note in the future!

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*TOP REVIEWER* impishnature on 11/3/2003 1:19:00 PM more reviews by impishnature

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Heady white florals like jasmine do NOT MIX WELL with chocolate! Right at first, I could not understand why people were so repulsed--it's a sweet, dark chocolate with floral undertones. Then the jasmine came on full force and died, the chocolate mutated to something foul, and the whole concoction morphed into the EXACT smell of a wet, stinky dog that had just spilled a vase of putrid, green stem water on itself.

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lisalaw on 6/19/2003 11:50:00 AM more reviews by lisalaw

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

Well apparently I'm in the minority. I love chocolate fragrances and this one tops them all--even my all time favorite Amour d'Cacao (which I never thought anything could). Maybe it just works well with my body chemistry but this smells fabulous on me (like fresh deep dark chocolate). I'm constantly sniffing myself and don't ever catch even a whiff of any part of this fragrance that I don't like. At $140.00 for 1/4 oz. it's ridiculously expensive but luckily for me, I just adore it and don't regret the purchase at all.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

luxluv on 5/24/2003 10:22:00 PM more reviews by luxluv

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

Uhm, I didn't hate it like others. I'll be the weirdo and post a good review. This smells like Tocca Touch (or some heady white floral) layered over CDP Amour De Cocoa and CDP Pamplemousse. Something needs to go. Contains pink grapefruit, which I didn't smell but suspect might be hard to take in combo with jasmine. In the sample vial I could barely detect the jasmine - mostly whiffs of yummy chocolate and orange, but in the dry-down jasmine overshadowed the chocolate and orange. I can see how this combo of scents could seem putrid to others, but I wasn't offended. Too expensive to buy, though I find it intriguing and would purchase it for my small scent collection if Cacao were more cocoa and less floral and/or cheaper.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Flinta3 on 5/19/2003 12:27:00 PM more reviews by Flinta3

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Gross, smells like synthetic violets and dead flowers, hidden under some stale Hershey's. Thank GOd I just had a sample, and did put it on before I showered, If I wore it out, I'm scared I'd be forced to chew my hands off.
If one must satisfy their curiosity, get a sample first, please!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No