Prada
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Cherry explodes with an almost jammy intensity, immediately anchored by dark blackcurrant that prevents early sweetness from becoming cloying. Within moments, that synthetic sweetener (the DNA of the fragrance) becomes evident—a lightly sugared veneer that smells closer to cosmetic packaging than orchard.
Peach softens the composition considerably, its fuzzy texture diffusing the remaining brightness whilst orange blossom adds a creamy, almost musky undertone rather than traditional citric lift. The accord becomes noticeably more intimate here, settling into skin as a soft fruity-floral whisper with heliotrope's almond sweetness anchoring everything from below.
Within four hours, the fragrance transforms into a creamy musk with residual peach warmth and honeyed benzoin—pleasant enough, but decidedly skinlike rather than noticeable. By the five-hour mark, you're smelling your own warmth rather than Candy Gloss; the longevity rating proves prophetic. This isn't longevity failure; it's the fragrance's intended silhouette—intimate, fleeting, designed for proximity rather than broadcast.
Candy Gloss is a fragrance caught between two impulses: the restless energy of fruit-forward freshness and the gravitational pull of creamy warmth. Opening with a bright cherry-blackcurrant duet, it doesn't announce itself with the sharp tartness you might expect from an eau de toilette. Instead, there's an immediate sweetness threading through—the cherry reads almost candied, whilst the blackcurrant adds a subtle tannin that prevents the composition from tipping into pure confectionery. What emerges is something closer to a berry compote than raw fruit.
The heart reveals Prada's strategic restraint. Peach and orange blossom enter not as distinct floral elements but as extensions of that fruity narrative, with the peach lending a fuzzy warmth that softens the orange blossom's typical soapiness. Here lies the fragrance's peculiar charm: these florals feel less like botanical abstractions and more like flavour notes in a glossy dessert.
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3.8/5 (83)